LAURENS COUNTY, Ga. — This fall, East Laurens Middle School students will head to a new building.
The district is currently renovating the old East Laurens High School. It's a $2.5 million project funded by a one-cent education sales tax or SPLOST.
The work to update East Laurens new middle school has begun.
"Hopefully it's going to make this school last another 20 years," principal of East Laurens Middle School James Lawhorn said.
The current middle school was built in 1957. It's the oldest school in Laurens county.
So, they're renovating the old East Laurens High School building.
After work there is complete middle school students will move in next August, according to Lawhorn.
"This one is a lot newer, the gym is a lot bigger and nicer. We're going to have a nice weight room, state of the art weight room that we're moving into," he said.
The high school building that's being renovated was built in 1996. The work includes re-doing the gym, classrooms, and hallways, including tile, ceilings, and paint.
Associate Superintendent for Laurens Tim Passmore is looking forward to showing off the new school.
"Mainly, to see the kids when they see it re-done, to see how excited they are about the renovations. The lighting in the bleachers, in the gym is probably going to be one of the biggest improvements," Passmore said.
The Assistant Principal of East Laurens also expressed excitement both as an employee and parent.
"My daughter is super excited about coming to middle school. She is wanting to do all kinds of athletics she's also wanting to be in all kinds of clubs," Brandi Purser said.
Next year, her daughter will attend the new school.
"I think that they'll have pride in where they're going to school and they'll take pride in what they're doing, and the education that they receive," Purser said.
Work should be complete in June.
This school year, Laurens County opened a new middle and high school. The schools cost $70 million to build and were over 160,000 square feet each.
The county's E-SPLOST money paid for both.