New middle school opens its doors
By JARED PUTNAM

The new Union County Middle School facility.

Students attending school in Blairsville returned to class Monday as the 2006-2007 school year kicked off. While there are always new faces in terms of both faculty and students, this year the Union County Middle School also has a new face in the form of a new 85,000 sq. ft. facility. The building consists of 36 classrooms that house seventh and eighth grade students while fifth and sixth grade students remain in the older middle school facility.

The new school includes three science labs on each floor for a total of six, as well as other necessities such as a computer lab and media center on the top floor. A pair of dedicated special education classrooms sit adjacent to one another on the bottom floor. Each special ed. room has its own restroom as well as a small kitchen area. Another unique feature is that each room has its own heating and cooling system.

One principal office is located downstairs while another is located office is upstairs, placing one administrator on each floor. The assistant principal's office is located in the middle of the upstairs hallway and features a row of windows that provide a good view down each hall.

Gwen Stone, a Principal at Union County Middle School, stands in the hallway at the new facility.

The new gymnasium is a little farther behind than the rest of the new facility because it is a separate building and does not have to be ready for the start of the year. That building is expected to be finished in September.