HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Community leaders of both Triana and Madison came together today to break some ground where Journey Middle School will eventually stand.
"By adding this footprint of a middle school, we lessen the enrollment of the other two and we have more opportunity, I believe, to give individualized instruction and to give more kids the opportunity to explore those new ideas and challenges and academic and extracurricular activities," said Madison City Schools Superintendent Ed Nichols.
Nichols says that adding this middle school to the system speaks to the overall growth the Madison area is seeing.
"We are a growing community, we're one of the fastest-growing communities in our state, but I think it says more about our community, that we invested in education, that our property tax vote was 70% which is significant and that our community understands that for us to continue to have the best school district in this state, and one of the best school districts in this region and in this nation, we have to have the facilities in place," said Nichols.
Growth comes with challenges but they said they are ready to take those challenges on in order to help serve the students who go to their schools.
"Folks make an investment to come here and live in this community because they want their children to have that opportunity and we continue to face those challenges of growth, but I tell ya, we'll take those challenges," said Nichols.
Journey is not the only new school being added in the Madison City School district. Their new elementary school, Midtown Elementary, is set to open this fall. And with new schools being built, there comes rezoning, Nichols also explains how that will work for the middle school.
"It will be the only middle school we have that will share students when they leave here to both high schools," said Nichols.
With a name like Journey Middle School, there is of course the correlation between the journey that is middle school.
"Middle school is to me is one of those great three-year periods in a child's life, it's challenging but it's also the opportunity to explore and to try new things and to get opportunities to look at their future, their journey," said Nichols.
The school will be 170,000 square feet, hold 1,200 students at capacity and will cost a projected $51.2 million to complete.