Students walked into a brand-new Horace Maynard Middle School for the first time this week, exploring classrooms, a cafeteria, library, media rooms and a band room inside a facility that took the place of a 1950s building. The new campus in Maynardville marks the first new school built in Union County since an elementary school opened in 2011, and it stands as the largest school construction project the county has completed since 1997.
The $41.25 million project drew on county and school-system funding, according to WBIR. That financing strategy mattered in a county where the U.S. Census Bureau estimates a median household income of $62,727 and a poverty rate of 17.4 percent. Per the original reporting from WVLT, Horace Maynard Middle School serves 600 students.
A Building Designed to Outgrow Its Own Problems
The new 125,000-square-foot building can hold more than 800 students, with capacity listed at least 850, according to WVLT’s reporting. The campus consolidates all athletic facilities in one location, including football, baseball and softball fields, and its new gymnasium seats approximately 800 people — nearly double the capacity of the old gym. Zach Goodin, a physical education teacher in his fifth year at Horace Maynard Middle School, called the new gym his home away from home.
Jamie Dykes, the first-year principal of Horace Maynard Middle School, said some of the new students were her former elementary school pupils. According to the same report, the new building includes a secure entrance and improved hallway sightlines meant to address safety concerns from the old school. Greg Clay said the new school brings everyone together, and he noted the completion date was originally set before the start of the school year, though the opening was ultimately delayed by nearly a month due to weather and supply delays.
Traffic Flow Changes for Car Riders
Car-rider traffic at the new campus differs from the current main street setup families were used to. Riders now enter from the rear of the building and exit directly onto Highway 33, a shift from the old arrangement.
Classrooms Built for College and Career Credit
The school offers all core middle school subjects alongside expanded STEM and career technical education programs, including agricultural science, health science, teaching as a profession, and woodworking. Middle school students can earn up to four high school credits before moving on, and per Greg Clay, fewer than 20 percent of eighth graders currently enter high school with up to three credits already completed, while others enter with at least one completed credit.
What Happens to the Old Building?
The future of the old Horace Maynard Middle School, built in the 1950s, remains undecided. Official Union County Board of Education meeting notices indicate the school board held a public workshop in the library of the old building. Per Greg Clay, the old middle school could be used for another school once renovated…