New middle school addition

Maya Akram, Reporter/photographer

  Louisa County Public Schools (LCPS) are adding on to the middle school. This will provide extra learning space necessary to address the growing student population in the county.

  According to the United States census, Louisa County’s population has increased by 5,679 people since 2010. This shows that the student population is growing and additional space is needed for the students. Over the next year, LCPS will work on designing the new space. It will be built behind the middle school, which is where the temporary pods are currently placed. The building process is anticipated to begin in 2025 and be completed in 2026. The new building is expected to hold an additional 550 students.

  Although the goal of the new building is to create more space for the growing student population, it will also produce more opportunities for students. Not only will the new building hold regular classes, but Career and Technical Education (CTE), as well as an alternative educational center. 

  “It was harder to focus in the pods because it was very noisy outside the pods and it was very easy to get distracted,” freshman Montgomery Mitchell said. “I think that it’ll help future students and I think it’ll be more stable.”

  The addition will eliminate this problem for many students and teachers will be more comfortable teaching in their classroom. Students will also be able to explore career paths that they are interested in and learn more about each one earlier in their education. CTE classes are different from the regular core classes and the additional space being added to the middle school will provide a learning environment that will reflect what the classes will be like in high school.

  “We will be able to expose our students to various careers and skills early on,” Superintendent Doug Straley said. “Not waiting to get to high school to learn those skills but rather begin to get them in middle school.”