The School District of Manatee County held a groundbreaking ceremony for a classroom addition and renovation project at Haile Middle School in east Manatee County on Friday, September 8, 2023.
The ceremony site was surrounded by turquoise and silver balloons, some in the shape of lightning bolts. The school's moniker is "The Storm".
Guests, including all five members of the Manatee County School Board, came together to celebrate the future of Haile Middle and to honor the school's namesake, the late Carlos E. Haile.
Staff members and students wore new t-shirts to mark the occasion.
Mr. Haile was a longtime educator and school administrator. He was credited with fighting for equal opportunities for ALL students.
His proud students and supporters from (former) Lincoln Memorial High School attended the event, including Johncyna McRae.
Johncyna McRae (pictured right) speaking to Assistant Principal Robert Sloman and School Board Chair Chad Choate.
She fondly remembers her former principal and close friend to her mother, Annie Lucy Williams, who is the namesake of Williams Elementary School in Parrish.
Speakers at the groundbreaking included Principal Irene Nikitopoulos, Superintendent Jason Wysong, Board Chair Chad Choate, Project Director Jeffery Medwetz and more.
Dr. Wysong thanked community members and Manatee County visitors for making this project possible, in part with the passage of the 2016 half-cent sales tax referendum.
Assistant Principal Bethany Gerber and staff help a student get prepared for the turning of the dirt photo opportunity.
Afterwards, many of the attendees participated in the sod-turning ceremony on the same ground where students will learn for decades to come.
This construction project was approved by the School Board in March 2022.
The new addition is expected to open in Fall 2024, and consists of a new 10-classroom building.
It also includes modernization of the entire school campus to enhance the safety and security of students, including new roof, mechanical, plumbing and other systems.
The budget is $46.2 million. The team behind the project is Long & Associates architects | engineers inc. and Halfacre Construction Company.