Applauding cheerleaders welcomed over a hundred people to the ribbon cutting for Westwood Middle School’s new facilities on Thursday morning.
Officials from Alachua County Public Schools, Scorpio Construction and Harvard Jolly Architecture barraged each other with thanks in brief speeches before cutting the ribbon and moving into sixth-grade orientation and tours.
“I just want to say thank you, thank you, thank you so much to everyone who had anything to do with this project,” Westwood principal Daniel Burney said in a speech. “We’re so excited, can’t wait to get our kids in here and get working hard with them. It’s going to be a great, great opportunity.”
For two years, the school has been relying on “portables,” modular, temporary structures that can be moved to different sites and are often used for schools that are over capacity.
The project, which celebrated its halfway point last August, was set to be finished in time for the 2024-25 school year, and the ribbon cutting was just in time, as classes begin on Monday.
“When your learning environment looks great, your children will do better,” Diyonne McGraw, chair of the School Board of Alachua County, said in a speech. “We’re just so thankful to our voters, everybody who played a part in making this happen—half-cent sales tax, it is going to great use and we’re just so grateful.”
Scorpio senior team leader, Erik Anderson, agreed. He compared children to the trees his company was careful to preserve in the courtyard, and how important the soil is to them.
“Everything that you guys pour into these kids, when it comes to their education and building that foundation, is similar to the soil of those plants,” Anderson said. “That really takes focus and intentionality, and really, nourishment. And I think the biggest difference here at Westwood is that you guys truly do care.”
The school was originally built in 1960, and 14 of those 65-year-old structures were demolished to make way for three new buildings: a two-story classroom building, a locker room building and a building with a media center and specialized classrooms such as art, choir, band and robotics.
The revitalization left the current administrative building, cafeteria and another two-story classroom building standing, but renovated to match the new structures.
Chad Jones, principal for Harvard Jolly, said the most challenging part of the project was creating a cohesive campus with new structures spread out from each other and the inclusion of existing buildings.
But the challenge is complete, and Jones said his favorite part now is to see the reactions of those who were at the school before the renovation.
In a speech before the ribbon cutting, Jones said though the school’s motto says, “a tradition of excellence,” it also has a tradition of high achievement, environmental responsibility and community.
“You can tell by the turnout that’s here today, the passion that you see in the audience, that this is a community. I’m truly honored and proud to be welcomed as a part of that community,” Jones said.
Superintendent Shane Andrew said the patience of the teachers, staff, students and parents who spent two years using portables demonstrated their dedication to paying it forward. He thanked Scorpio and Harvard Jolly, noting that the contractors helped involve the community in the process.
“It’s not just architectural services, but he’s [Harvard Jolly’s Jones] been a true community partner,” Andrew said. “When he meets with teachers and parents and PTSAs, he listens, he hears everyone. He takes everyone’s thoughts and concerns in, and he helps us develop a school that’s responsive to the needs of our community.”
Just down the hill from Westwood, Littlewood Elementary School is the next revitalization project to be funded by the Half Cent for Schools initiative which voters approved in 2018.
