After four long years of planning, designing and construction, the joy of completing the new Madison Middle School came down to one simple moment for Madison Superintendent Lee Kaple.
It was a moment he shared with the crowd at Sunday afternoon’s dedication ceremony for Madison Middle School, a moment he said took place one day as he was leaving his office and happened upon a woman and her granddaughter standing just outside the construction fence of the new school.
“The little girl, probably five or six years old, turned to me with a big grin on her face and said, ‘That’s going to be my new school,’” remembered Kaple. “That smile and that pride from that little Madison Ram never left my memory, and it’s helped me remember what this is really all about: the children.”
Children, parents and administrators all gathered in Madison Middle School’s new “cafetorium” Sunday afternoon to officially dedicate the new school, and to celebrate and give thanks. Kaple began his remarks Sunday afternoon by thanking the residents of Madison School District for making the new school possible.
“Your unwavering support for the current future generations of Madison children has produced this state-of-the-art building, and it’s a facility that will meet the needs and enhance the education of students for now and far into the future,” said Kaple.
Audience members were able to look back on the four years of construction, from the bond issue passing in 2010 and the groundbreaking in 2012 to its completion, thanks to a 10-minute video created by Madison High School students Braxton Daniels and Bryce Luckie. Other speakers offering their support and congratulations included Brian Swope, Senior Project Manager of Quandel Construction Group, and Ohio State Rep. Mark Romanchuk.
“Madison Middle School is certainly deserving of high praise, for this noteworthy institution has achieved an exceptional record of service to the area’s young people,” said Romanchuk on behalf of the Ohio House of Representatives. “The completion of this new facility is justifiably a source of pride and a fine reflection not only on the employees and the administrators of the school, but also on the students, their families and the community.”
After the singing of the Alma Mater and playing of the Fight Song by Madison Middle School’s choir and band, attendees were able to walk through the halls of the new middle school as well as enjoy light refreshments.
Seventh grader Zakary Hoover, who started school in the new building on January 9, showed off his new locker on Sunday and noted he enjoyed the school’s new technology.
“I really like the new desks and the new whiteboards. You can draw and interact on them,” he said.
Courtney Nabb, who attended Madison’s old junior high, added she felt Zakary was able to focus more on his classes thanks to the close proximity of his classrooms.
“It really fosters a sense of community,” she said.
The new middle school has even spurred excitement in Madison’s future middle schoolers. Fourth-grader Brooke Williams said she likes how the new Madison Middle School is “fancier” than the other schools, and fifth-grader Amia Chapman said she enjoys having more room to run in the gymnasium.
“I also like how the hallways are big and you can walk, and it’s not so tight,” she said.
Chapman will attend the new middle school in the fall, once the fifth and sixth grade wing of the school is completed. Madison School Board President Jeff Meyers said it feels like forever since the journey to the new building began, but that it’s all been worth it.
“A lot of hard work, meetings, designs and inputs led us to this dedication,” said Meyers. “And this is the community of Madison’s new middle school building. I hope you’re all as proud of it as we are.”
“The completion of this new facility is justifiably a source of pride and a fine reflection not only on the employees and the administrators of the school, but also on the students, their families and the community,” said State Rep. Mark Romanchuk.
