North Murray High School will open to its first students by the start of the 2010-2011 school year, marking the first time in 70 years that Murray County has had more than one high school.
"We've had a consolidated high school (Murray County High School) for approximately 70 years. I think Murray County's high schools were consolidated in the 1930s," county Finance Director Steve Loughridge said. "Now, we'll have two high schools: one to serve the north end of the county and the other to serve the southern end," he said.
Students Alexandra Campbell and Justin Saylor will be North Murray juniors next year. Alexandra said she hasn't seen the school yet but finds the prospect of a new facility "exciting."
She said she was in the first class to "graduate" from the county's new Bagley Middle School after it opened and now she can follow that by being in the first graduating class of the North Murray Mountaineers in 2012.
Justin's junior year will be unique, he said.
"It'll be a new experience because I've never been able to go to a new school," Justin said.
He's been helping move furniture to the new school this week, he said. The most striking features of the school are "just the size of it and all the acreage that we have," Justin said.
The new school is a 230,000-square-foot, two-story brick building built on more than 100 acres.
Mr. Loughridge, who is overseeing the $33.4 million project, said students and teachers will take up residence in September while some work continues on athletic facilities and the school's auditorium.
The new school's enrollment, initially expected to be about 750, will mostly arise from this year's ninth- and 10th-graders, now attending "North Murray High" in temporary digs near the school system's central office in Chatsworth, he said.
There will be no "Class of 2011" at North Murray because next year's seniors will remain at Murray County High. When the school promotes its seniors as the class of 2012, enrollment will be closer to 1,000, officials said.
Principal Maria Bradley, a Murray County native and graduate of the older high school, said she has visited the new facility regularly to work with the architect and contractors on paint and flooring colors.
This week, about 20 students and eight staff members have been moving furniture from the old campus to the new school, Dr. Bradley said.
"Our students were so excited when they went in, they had to have a quick little tour because they weren't going to be able to work," she laughed.
The early visits give students a sense of ownership of their new school, she said.
Teachers who will attend a staff tour on Friday will be "wowed by the new school," she predicted.
Academic programs such as cosmetology and culinary arts will be launched at the school, she said.
"I think it's going to be an inspirational place to teach and learn," she said.
Athletic Director Josh Lowe said Mountaineer athletic teams, already in place at the temporary North Murray campus, have tallied winning records that they will carry with them to the new facility.
"Next year will be year two for our various sports," coach Lowe said.
Getting 16 athletic teams going was an initial challenge, but "we've finished our first year with no losing seasons," he said.
A considerable amount of excitement was generated among athletes by the fact that every mark they make will be a new school record, he said.
Justin and Alexandra said they have high hopes for the black and gold Mountaineers.
"I like that fact that gold relates to 'champions,'" Alexandra said.
"We're the only 'Mountaineers' in the state of Georgia, and I think that's pretty cool," Justin said.
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