The construction of a 10,000-square-foot, 10-classroom wing at the upper school building of Harrells Christian Academy, as well as a 20,000-square-foot practice gymnasium, are expected to be complete by mid-November, according to headmaster Dr. Ron Montgomery.
“The classrooms that are being used now for high school will become middle school classes,” he said Thursday. “The move into the new high school will probably take place between semesters. The middle school move looks like it will wait until the next school year because we will be able to do some painting and some other things that we need to do in order for those rooms to be ready.”
The bold $3.5 million project, paid through private funding, got under way close to a year ago, when officials gave a complete revamp to the sewer/septic system. The septic system project was completed prior to school opening. And now that both structures are almost complete, excitement continues to build.
The new gym will be have two full courts, and is big enough that officials can come back later and add a theater or stage, some locker rooms and classrooms. The old gym, which sat on the campus for over four decades, was sold to a private buyer, who wishes to remain unidentified. It was recently relocated, as it sat originally, near the school.
In the 10-room new high school building, the main attraction is two new state-of-the-art labs — one for chemistry, the other for biology.
“We are really excited about this,” asserted Montgomery. “It has been a long process, and with the economy taking the dive it took, it is really exciting that our parents and folks here have taken the challenge to make this commitment.”
Patricia Thornton, the school’s new public relations director and a former HCA student,said she is proud to be part of the system. “I am an alumni and I am excited to get back,” she said. “The school has really grown so much, it is almost unbelievable. I think the students are really excited to get over to the new classrooms and the new gyms. The parents are really excited, too. We have a lot of alumni parents who come here and they are really excited about everything that is going on and where we are headed. For me, when I came to school here, it was just the main building and a small cafeteria. So, to see all of this advancement is just wonderful. I have a 1-year old and I am getting excited for her to be old enough to come out here.” She laughs. “I can’t imagine where we will be by them. I know that the alumni that I have talked to are impressed with all of the advances the school has made and it makes us proud.”
It’s a statement that pleases Montgomery.
“It really makes me feel good to hear that,” he stressed. “And the good thing is, I hear it over and over again. We have so many alumni that are having graduates. We have a large number that feel like this is the place for their children to be. Some of my staff members here are alumni, and it makes you feel good to know that you are doing something right and people are proud to be part of this school. We have a strong sense of famil,y and I will be honest, that is a strong selling point, because you can see it in everything we can do.”
However, the new construction is not just for growth, it is for the current and future students of the school, as well.
“The emphasis is not so much on the growth but to improve the quality and instruction of the students that we already have here,” Montgomery said. “It was really built for enrichment for programs that we already have in place.” The headmaster also wants the public to see the progress of the school.
“We have an open-door policy here,” he stressed. “We encourage people who want to come check us out to come on. It is good if they call ahead, but they are always welcome to come in and see what we have to offer here.”
The school currently has approximately 453 students.
For more information, visit the academy’s website at harrellschristianacademy.org or call for an appointment to tour the school at (910) 532-2958.
