Groundbreaking ushers in school expansion project
“It’s a good day, y’all,” said Hilary Wilkes, the Highlands representative to the Macon County school board, on a cool morning last Wednesday. She and other school officials were happy to see groundbreaking on land that will, in a year’s time, be new middle school and Pre-K classrooms.
The courtyard was packed with students, teachers, and community members glad to see the groundbreaking getting started. The new addition will be built near the soccer field at the back of the current school. As officials ceremonially dug up some dirt, kids in classrooms nearby watched and waved from the windows.
The project has been years in the making. Wilkes recounted how the Advancing Highlands Education Committee, or AHEC, formed initially in 2018 to look at problems with the middle school – but that turned into looking into various other upgrades, including new technology for the media center and Pre-K classrooms.
Wilkes said adding the Pre-K classrooms would be a great help with the limited childcare services in Highlands. She said there are waiting lists for every Pre-K or daycare service in the area.
She said she was now just looking forward to this time next year – when the new building is scheduled to be open for students.
“When we stand here in a year or so to cut the ribbon upon the completion of all the construction and renovation, the fruits of these labors will be left in the most competent, capable hands I know of and that is the administration and faculty of our wonderful school,” she said. “We have the best teachers and coaches, janitorial team, cafeteria staff and principals, and they deserve to work in a school that will rise to meet their needs and the needs of the students. It doesn’t just take a village; it truly takes an army.”
School Board chair Jim Breedlove complimented Wilkes’ hard work on advancing education in the area.
“I hope you understand what a treasure you have in this person,” Breedlove said. “She truly bleeds Highlander blood. She’s been your advocate. She’s worked hard as possibly can.”
He said the new additions to the school would help the children “receive the education they’re entitled to, to make sure as they move forward and become adults, they also contribute and become model citizens.”
NC Sen. Kevin Corbin (R-Macon) addressed the crowd on the singular nature of Highlands School.
“This is really kind of a crazy day,” he said. “You guys are unique – do you know how many K-12 schools there are in the state of North Carolina? There’s three. Two are in Macon County.”
Corbin was a member of the county school board when the current middle school building was built, and he addressed the young students watching the ceremony: “That building, there’s a plaque from 1995, that was almost 30 years ago. Some of your parents may not have been born when we built that.”
At that time, Corbin said he and other leaders had worked on a “25-year plan” for the local schools to repair aging facilities and other deficient elements. When he became a state legislator, he helped pass legislation that allotted extra money for the remote K-12 schools like Highlands School, to make up for the costs of running things. Now he said the new buildings would be a “wonderful addition” to Highlands School.
“I think it says Macon County and North Carolina committed to Highlands School for the long-term,” he said.