[caption id="attachment_30035" align="aligncenter" width="1260"]<img class="size-full wp-image-30035" src="https://mountainmedianews.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2017/10/Rupert-Elementary-School.jpg" alt="" width="1260" height="840" /> An architect’s rendering of the new Rupert Elementary School, designed by Thrasher Architects & Engineering.[/caption] <h1>Greenbrier County Schools will host a ground-breaking ceremony on Tuesday, Nov. 7, at 1 p.m. to mark the start of the new Rupert Elementary School construction project.</h1> The event will be held at the site of the new school on the campus of Western Greenbrier Middle School and is open to the public. In the aftermath of the June 2016 flood, representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the West Virginia School Building Authority (WVSBA) joined county school officials to assess flood-damage to Rupert Elementary School. While necessary clean-up and repairs to the school were fast-tracked in order to accommodate the return of students for the 2016-17 school year, a plan to relocate the school was necessary in order to meet the long-term safety and educational needs of its students. In consultation with the WVSBA and Thrasher Architects & Engineering, Greenbrier County Schools developed and secured funding for a cost-effective architectural solution for the school. Rupert Elementary will be relocated to a newly constructed wing connected to Western Greenbrier Middle School. The elementary school will maintain its current grade configuration (Pre-K – 5) as well as its current staff and administration. Although connected to the middle school facility, Rupert Elementary will maintain autonomy as an elementary school with a distinctly separate entryway, administrative area, classroom spaces, restrooms, gymnasium, parking lot, and play areas. Minor renovations to Western Greenbrier will be made to enhance utilization of available space and accommodate the addition of the separate elementary school wing. The project is being funded through a Needs-Based Grant from the WVSBA in the amount of $4.8 million with a local share of $500,000 applied to the project. Thrasher Architects & Engineering of Bridgeport, WV designed the architectural plan and Tim Holbrook of Lewisburg is serving as the Clerk of the Works for the project. Bids for construction services will be opened on Oct. 26. It is anticipated that the project will be completed in 12-18 months.
