By: Ainsley Hall
HEDGESVILLE — Berkeley County Schools celebrated the groundbreaking of Hedgesville Early Learning Academy on Wednesday.
Located on Ridge Road North, across from Hedgesville High School, this new pre-K center will provide a safe space to teach young students and provide a firm foundation for the future of their education.
Hedgesville Early Learning Academy is the first of four major 2022 bond projects that will go on to serve the growing community. Superintendent Dr. Ryan Saxe was excited to welcome everyone to the groundbreaking ceremony and celebrate this accomplishment for the county.
“This project is not just about constructing a building,” Saxe said. “It’s about laying the foundation, both literally and metaphorically, for the education of our children. Just as a well-built structure relies on the stable foundation, so to does our child’s educational journey.”
Berkeley County Schools hopes to open the new school in 2026. The building will include a playground for students and many classrooms to provide education spaces for students.
Ty Tyson, director of facilities with Berkeley County Schools, shared that the project is currently under budget at $11.8 million, which means the district can potentially add four extra classrooms, allowing the school to accept 240 students. The school will also collaborate with James Rumsey Technical Institute’s ECAP program, giving high school students the opportunity to get hands-on experience in early education.
Antoinette Funk, director of pre-K programs with Berkeley County Schools, talked during the ceremony, sharing a bit of history of pre-K education in West Virginia. She shared that it is integral to a student’s education to have access to a quality pre-K program. BCS currently serves 1,000 pre-K students across 68 classrooms throughout the county, and this new facility will help them continue to provide for young people in the future.
Berkeley County Board of Education President Jacqueline Long also spoke during the ceremony. She thanked the community for its support through the bond and everyone else who helped bring this project to fruition. She and the rest of the board are excited to see the new building and continue to build more schools in the coming years.
“This is where our Eaglets will take flight for the first time, supported by the dedicated teachers, staff and community members who will nurture them,” Saxe said. “In time, these Eaglets will become the Eagles that sore right over there at Hedgesville High School, carrying with them the knowledge and confidence gained from their earliest education experiences right here.”
Students from Hedgesville Elementary School had the honor of breaking ground at the new site. As they pushed their shovels into the ground and tossed the dirt, the Hedgesville High School band played music to celebrate this new step for Berkeley County Schools.