Marietta moving into new facility at last
As of June 4, Marietta Public Schools began moving into their new middle/high school
facility.
“There’s no going back now,” said Superintendent Brandi Naylor. “There are several
little things that still need to be done, but we will be starting school in our new facility.”
And what a facility it is.
The building includes office space for middle and high school secretaries, principals,
and counselors, as well as the district’s athletic director, instructional coach, and
resource officer. The IT department is also officed in the building.
There are 30 classrooms – all with built-in storage, two STEM labs, biology and
chemistry labs, and some shared facilities like the library/media center and the family
and consumer sciences room, which contains a pantry, commercial freezer and
refrigerator, four ovens, and two dishwashers.
Two sets of restrooms for both boys and girls occupy each wing for a total of 28 student
stalls in the building, along with seven total faculty restrooms.
A roomy teachers’ workspace and lounge is home to the copy machine, mailboxes, a
seating area, and plenty of countertops.
A warming kitchen will allow meals to be served to middle and high school students,
and they will be able to eat in the commons area, which adjoins the gymnasium lobby.
Concessions for the gym will also be operated through the kitchen area.
The facility also has several impressive safety and technology features.
First, there are saferooms that afford enough space for all students and teachers. Those
areas also contain the network for the district so that all phones and computers can be
powered by backup generator if necessary.
The building’s lighting – all LED – is controlled by an application that allows IT Director
Nate Jackson to control lights remotely.
Throughout the building are 10 display screens. The screens can display student events
and information as well as student achievements, but they can also be used to convey
messages in the event of an emergency.
Another important safety feature is the access control system that negates the need for
keys and allows access with the use of a plastic quarter-sized fob. Teachers can access
the exterior doors as well as their classrooms. Local first responders have fobs that gain
them entry in the event of an emergency.
The access control system is trackable so administrators can know what doors were
opened and at what times of the day, and at any time the entire building can be locked
down if necessary. As well, individual fobs can be disabled. The access control system
provides not only safety, but also convenience for all who work in the building.
Additionally, surveillance cameras allow administrators a view of all public areas within
the building.
The facility was due to have been completed in 2023, but due to supply chain restraints
and sub-contractor scheduling issues, finalization has been delayed. However, there
have been no major changes in the budget since the original bids were accepted.
Demolition of the old high school building is scheduled for July 15. Currently,
maintenance personnel are working inside that building to remove any items and
materials that could be used elsewhere on campus. After demolition is complete,
construction will begin on a new parking area that will serve the middle/high school and
the auditorium.
An open house is tentatively being planned for August, with more details to follow.
“We are super excited to finally be here,” said Naylor as she stood in the building’s
foyer. “It was nice to begin seeing the building come to live as we started moving in.”
The process has been a long, and at times difficult one.
“There are so many people who have worked so hard behind the scenes to get us to
this point,” noted Naylor. “Our maintenance director Jeral Berry has been our feet on the
ground and his crew has taken charge of the moving and getting the old building ready
for demolition.
“And the ladies in my office are unsung heroes. Cynthia O’Connor, Nati Sanchez, and
Angela Vega have overseen paperwork, payments, funding, and a million other details.
Our IT director Nate Jackson has been fantastic at taking care of the myriad of
technology details. He has saved us thousands of dollars on this job.”
Naylor also voiced her appreciation for the district’s patrons.
“We just can’t thank our community enough for their support,” she concluded. “We want
this facility to be something that our community and our kids are proud of.”