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Travelers Rest gets new middle school building

DAMAGE FROM THE ACCIDENT. THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS HAVE WALKED THROUGH THE DOORS OF NORTHWEST MIDDLE SCHOOL OVER THE YEARS, AND LAST NIGHT GREENVILLE COUNTY SCHOOLS VOTED TO IMPROVE IT. THEY ARE BUYING LAND FOR A REPLACEMENT SCHOOL. OUR PEYTON FURTADO LIVES IN TRAVELERS REST AND TELLS US WHAT WE NEED TO KNOW. PEYTON. YES. MARK CARROLL, CONSTRUCTION SHOULD START VERY, VERY SOON. RIGHT NOW. NORTHWEST MIDDLE SCHOOL IS VERY IMPORTANT TO THIS AREA. THAT'S BECAUSE THERE ARE ABOUT THREE PUBLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS IN THE AREA. ONE CAN BE SEE DOWN THE STREET HERE. ALL THREE LEAD TO THIS ONE PUBLIC MIDDLE SCHOOL. IT HAS BEEN TEACHING MIDDLE SCHOOL READING, WRITING AND MATTER SINCE 1974. AND IT IS CERTAINLY AN OUTDATED SCHOOL. ALSO, AND THE GROWTH OF GREENVILLE, IT'S A PRETTY SMALL CAMPUS. AND BECAUSE IT'S NEXT TO THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, THERE ARE MANY TRAFFIC PROBLEMS THAT MAKE A NEW BUILDING NECESSARY. ON TUESDAY NIGHT, THE GREENVILLE COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD VOTED UNANIMOUSLY. YES. ALL AGAINST? NO. THE MOTION PASSES. THE NEW SCHOOL IS PLANNING TO BE BUILT ON ALMOST 30 ACRES OFF HIGHWAY 25 NEAR BELLEVUE AND ROBERTSON ROADS. IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO BE BUILT TO PICK UP AND DROP OFF DRIVERS. THIS IS NOT A TWO-LANE ROAD. NO. AND TRAFFIC CONGESTION ON 25 IS OBVIOUSLY NOT AN OPTION. SCOTT CARLIN OF GREENVILLE COUNTY SCHOOLS SAYS THEY WILL MAKE THE SCDOT-RECOMMENDED ROAD IMPROVEMENTS AND BUILD ENOUGH PARKING. SO AS PART OF OUR PLANNING WE ARE MAKING SURE WE HAVE ENOUGH ROOM ON CAMPUS TO STACK CARS. OPENING DAY IS SCHEDULED FOR AUGUST 2027. TEACHERS AND PARENTS LIKE CLIFF LEE HOPE THE INVESTMENT IN LEARNING AND TEACHING WILL HAVE AN IMPACT. WHEN A SCHOOL IS, YOU KNOW, LOST AND DECLINED, STUDENTS DON'T NECESSARILY TREAT IT WITH RESPECT. IT DOESN'T SEEM SO SPECIAL TO THEM. BUT WHEN THEY ENTER A BUILDING THAT'S CLEAN AND FRESH AND HAS REALLY WONDERFUL FACILITIES FOR THEM, IT REALLY HELPS TO INCREASE THEIR EMOTIONAL LOAD. I THINK THAT'S WELL SAID, PEYTON. AND AS YOU JUST NOTED, WE KNOW THE BUILDING IS OUTDATED, BUT WILL THIS NEW BUILDING TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE GROWTH OF THE AREA? YES, MARK, I'M GOING TO BE HONEST WITH YOU TODAY WHEN I GO INTO THIS STORY. I THOUGHT THEY WERE REPLACING THIS BUILDING BECAUSE THEY NEEDED MORE SPACE. THAT WASN'T ACTUALLY THE CASE. IT WAS BECAUSE IT'S OLD AND THEY NEED BETTER FACILITIES. HOWEVER, GREENVILLE COUNTY IS GROWING, TRAVELERS REST IS GROWING. THEY TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT IN THESE PLANS. AS I TOLD THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS, IT FIT IN THIS NEW BUILDING, UNLIKE THE 800, IT FITS RIGHT NOW. LI

Travelers Rest gets new middle school building

Thousands of students have walked through the doors of Northwest Middle School since 1974, and now an upgrade is coming. Greenville County Schools voted Tuesday night to purchase land for a new school, with groundbreaking expected soon. Northwest Middle is the only public middle school in this part of northern Greenville County and serves students from three elementary schools. Due to Greenville's outdated facilities and growth, the vote was unanimous for new construction. Greenville County School Executive Director of Facilities Scott Carlin pointed out that the school's small campus and traffic issues due to its proximity to an elementary school necessitated the new construction. The new school will be built on a nearly 30-acre lot off Highway 25 near Belvue and Robertson roads. “This is not a two-lane road, and gridlock on Highway 25 is clearly not an option,” said Kassie Quinn, who works at a nearby construction company. The district plans to make recommended improvements to the streets and ensure adequate parking and storage for cars at the new campus. The planned opening day is August 2027. Teachers and parents hope the investment will improve the learning environment. “If a school is dilapidated, students may not treat it with respect,” said parent Cliff Lee. “A clean, fresh building with wonderful facilities can increase the emotional burden on them.” The new school will accommodate 1,000 students, up from the current capacity of 800, and anticipates future growth in the area.

TRAVELERS REST, SC —

Thousands of students have passed through the doors of Northwest Middle School since 1974, and now an upgrade is on the horizon. Greenville County Schools voted Tuesday night to purchase land for a new school, with groundbreaking expected soon.

Northwest Middle is the only public middle school in this part of northern Greenville County and serves students from three elementary schools. Due to the outdated facilities and the growth of Greenville, a new building was unanimously requested.

Scott Carlin, Greenville County Schools' executive director of facilities, noted that the school's small campus and traffic issues due to its proximity to an elementary school necessitated the new construction.

The new school will be built on a nearly 30-acre site off Highway 25 near Belvue and Robertson roads. “This is not a two-lane road, and congestion on Highway 25 is clearly not an option,” said Kassie Quinn, who works for a nearby construction company.

The district plans to make recommended improvements to the streets and provide adequate parking and storage for cars on the new campus. The planned opening date is August 2027.

Teachers and parents hope the investment will improve the learning environment. “If a school is dilapidated, students may not treat it with respect,” said parent Cliff Lee. “A clean, fresh building with wonderful facilities can be emotionally draining for them.”

The new school will accommodate 1,000 students (currently 800), thus accommodating future growth in the region.

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