Groundbreaking ceremonies for Grantham and Spring Creek Middle Schools

The ground was turned for two new schools Thursday morning in Wayne County and community leaders as well as citizens showed up to celebrate the occasion.

In addition, Senators Louis Pate and Don Davis, as well as House of Representative John R. Bell were present for the groundbreakings.

Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Steven Taylor thanked the Board of Education and the Wayne County Board of Commissioners for their hard work to making the building of the two schools a reality.

Taylor thanked former school board members Pete Gurley, Dave Thomas, Shirley Sims and George Mayo. He gave a nod to former Board of Education members Lehman Smith and Shirley Sims, as well as former Wayne County Commissioner J.D. Evans.

“I would also like to recognize County Manager George Wood as well as thank former manager Lee Smith, our retired Finance Officer Nan Barwick, the county’s Finance Officer Pam Holt, the school’s attorney Jack Edwards and Borden Parker, attorney for the county,” said Taylor.

Taylor said that the two schools were the first to be built since Tommy’s Road Elementary School in 2000.

“This is an exciting time and I’m proud to stand here,” Taylor said.

Board of Education Chairman John Grantham echoed his appreciation for school board members and for the county commissioners.

“We had a scare when there was a change in county managers,” Grantham said. “But at one of the meetings, County Manager George Wood told the commissioners that they had already agreed to build the schools, they just had to figure out how to pay for it.”

Grantham paused, “I knew then that this guy is on the right track.”

Wayne Aycock, Chairman for the Wayne County Board of Commissioners, also thanked everyone involved for their hard work.

“But the school board is not the winner. The Commissioners are not the winner,” Aycock said. “The children attending these schools – they are the winners.”