Greenbrier County Schools will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, Sept. 19, at 9 a.m. to celebrate completion of the new Rupert Elementary School.
The event will be held at the new school located just behind Western Greenbrier Middle School in Crawley and is open to the public.
“The heart of Rupert Elementary School has moved from the old building to the new building in a seamless transition and we are beyond excited,” states Rupert Elementary Principal, Jenny Harden. “I am overwhelmed by the spirit of teamwork demonstrated by so many throughout this project. The architects, construction teams, service personnel, teachers, county office staff, parents, and community members have been extraordinarily supportive in getting our school to this exciting place in its history.”
In the aftermath of the June 2016 flood, damage to Rupert Elementary School required fast-tracked clean-up and repairs to accommodate the return of students for the 2016-17 school year. However, a plan to relocate the school was necessary to meet the long-term safety and educational needs of Rupert Elementary students.
In consultation with the West Virginia School Building Authority and Thrasher Architects & Engineering, county school officials developed and secured funding for a cost-effective architectural solution for the school. As a result, Rupert Elementary has been relocated to a newly constructed facility connected to Western Greenbrier Middle School. The elementary school maintains its Pre-K-5 grade configuration as well as its current staff and administration. Although connected to the middle school facility, Rupert Elementary maintains its autonomy as an elementary school with a distinctly separate entryway, administrative area, classroom spaces, gymnasium, restrooms, parking lot, and play areas. Minor renovations to Western Greenbrier have been made to enhance utilization of available space and accommodate the addition of the separate elementary school wing.
“This is an exciting new era for Greenbrier County Schools and Rupert Elementary. The past and the present have come together for the future of students in this remarkable community,” states Superintendent of Greenbrier County Schools Jeff Bryant.
The project was funded through a Needs-Based Grant from the West Virginia School Building Authority 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, Swope Construction of Bluefield, WV, provided General Contractor services with Tim Holbrook of Lewisburg serving as the Clerk of the Works for the project.
