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Last, not least
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Sixth-graders Rayonna Abron-Booth, 11, left, and Monique Abron, 10, along with Tyler Abron, 14, check out artwork created by Rayonna during the ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house at the new Woodrow Wilson Middle School on Sunday afternoon.
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The new Woodrow Wilson Middle School on Sunday afternoon Sunday afternoon. And, of course, no open house is complete without cake for the guests. The price tag for the new school was $13.5 million, the superintendent said.
By Elise Franco
Wilson represents the final new city school in $187M project
By Elise Franco
Youngstown
Woodrow Wilson Middle School is lucky number 13.
With a Sunday afternoon ribbon-cutting ceremony, the new state-of-the-art facility was the 13th and final new school to open in the Youngstown City School District.
All the new schools are part of a 10-year, $187 mil- lion project funded 80 percent by the Ohio School Facilities Commission. Woodrow Wilson cost $13.5 million, said Superintendent Wendy Webb.
“A lot of planning went into this school,” she said. “The first day of classes was so exciting for everyone because they were leaving a dark, dismal old building behind.”
Webb said the total completion of the building project is significant for the district.
“It’s going to move the district forward,” she said. “I think even the teachers feel better about coming to work in this environment.”
Principal Jerome Harrell said the new facility is “outstanding” and “awesome.”
“It’s a good feeling that now all the district’s kids have brand-new buildings,” he said. “There are no excuses anymore. We have everything we need for our kids to be successful.”
Harrell said the school has 30 classrooms — each with five computers, two full computer labs, libraries and proper technology.
“Technology is their world,” he said. “If we can educate the children through their world, they’ll be successful.”
Monique Abron, 10, is a sixth-grader at Wilson. She said she was excited to begin learning inside the new school.
“I think the school is so good because it will help me learn and get a good education for college,” she said. “The new technology helps with that, and helps me get a fresh start on my grades.”
Harrell said it’s important that all students have fresh attitudes — such as Monique’s — to help them achieve.
“It’s a new year, and we’ve got to have new attitudes and better results,” he said. “That’s what we’re working on now.”