Union County is getting a new middle school

MAYNARDVILLE Tenn. (WVLT) - Construction on the new Horace Maynard Middle School is progressing, with the facility set to replace the existing building and offer students expanded space, safety upgrades, and new academic programs.

Parent Tori Orrick said the project has been anticipated for some time.

“They’ve been talking about building one for a long time,” Orrick said. “So, it’s great to see that finally coming to life, you know, that dream.”

Orrick, who also has aspirations in education, said building safety is among her top priorities.

“One of the biggest things is it’s the safety of the building,” she said.

The largest school built in Union County since 1997

The new building spans 125,000 square feet, making it the largest school built in Union County since the high school was constructed in 1997. It is also the first new school in the county since an elementary school opened in 2011.

Director of Schools Greg Clay said the facility is built to grow with the district.

“It’s massive compared to most,” Clay said.

The school currently serves around 600 students and has capacity for at least 850. The gym seats approximately 800, nearly double the capacity of the gym at the old building.

Expanded programs and high school credit opportunities

Clay said the school offers all core middle school subjects alongside expanded STEM and career technical education programs.

“We’re excited about all the things we can do for STEM and CTE that we’re doing here,” Clay said.

New programs include agricultural science, health science, a teaching as a profession track, and woodworking.

“We’ve got Ag Science, Health Science. There’s Teaching as Profession things we’ve got started,” Clay said. “Those things here, we have also like woodworking, things like that that we didn’t normally have.”

Students can also earn up to four high school credits while still in middle school. Clay said approximately 60 to 70 percent of eighth graders enter high school with at least one credit already completed, and a smaller number — less than 20 percent — have earned up to three.

Safety and traffic improvements

Clay said the new building addresses safety concerns that existed in the old facility.

“One of the biggest things is it’s the safety of the building,” Clay said. “It’s a lot better situated as far as monitoring the student safety. The other building has a lot of nooks and crannies and corners. Well, this one is a pretty good flow to it.”

The new school features a secure vestibule at the entrance, which the old building did not have. Hallway transitions are also designed to reduce travel time, with students primarily moving within a single hallway and going up one level to reach specialty areas.

For parents, drop-off and pickup will also change. Car riders will enter from the rear of the building, circle around, and exit directly onto Highway 33 — a departure from the current setup on Main Street, where the elementary school, middle school, and high school share the same congested corridor.

On-site athletic facilities

The new campus consolidates all athletic facilities in one location. Football fields are on site, along with baseball and softball fields.

Clay said the current school requires softball teams to travel to an elementary school for home games, and football and baseball are played on a field across the road from the existing building.

“It’s all right here together, like the high school is,” Clay said. “It’s set up like a high school.”

Construction delays and opening timeline

The school was originally scheduled to be completed before the start of the school year, but weather and supply issues pushed back the timeline.

“This is the original completion date, but it’s got pushed back because of weather, some material delays, things like that,” Clay said.

Teachers are expected to begin moving into the building on the 27th, bringing curriculum materials and teaching tools. Clay said all furniture in the building is new, so staff will not need to move large amounts of equipment.

Students in Union County are scheduled to return the second week of August, with a staggered start — half the student body on Monday and the other half on Tuesday. The week prior is reserved for professional development.

Clay said he expects the school to be ready in time. If it is not, students will begin the year at the old middle school and transition to the new building when construction is complete.

“If not, we might be a week or two delayed, but I don’t see that as a big issue,” Clay said.

Orrick said she hopes the new school will increase family engagement.

“I think that I’m hoping that it will bring more family involvement,” Orrick said. “So I think that they’ll want to see the new come in and be a part of it.”