The middle school cost Jackson taxpayers $4.7 million, but provides more classrooms, two new science labs and an industrial technology lab.

Sixth- and seventh-graders in the Jackson school district will have more to look forward to this fall than a new school year, new friends, new classes, new lockers and new challenges. In addition to these, they'll also be attending a brand new school all together.

Jackson R-2 Middle School, located on Route D approximately one mile from the previous school, will open its doors to students for the first time when school starts in late August.

Principal Dr. Dan Beard, the associate principal at R.O. Hawkins Junior High for 15 years prior to the construction of the new building, welcomes its completion and eagerly awaits the coming year.

"It's a great facility with some excellent programs," Beard said. "It's going to be a great place for kids to go to school."

The new $4.7-million facility enables the school to provide several new classes and opportunities, Beard said. In addition to usual classroom, library, music and physical education facilities, Jackson Middle School will also feature two fully equipped science labs and an industrial technology lab, in which students will be able to perform experiments in areas such as robotics, laser technology and flight simulation.

"The new school gave us the opportunity to change some programs and add some that we wouldn't have had a chance to do otherwise," Beard said.

The primary reason the school was needed was a severe lack of classroom space that led to problems of overcrowding, Beard said.

"Our teachers think that it's great," he said. "Some of them were never able to have their own classroom. They just had to jump around from room to room. Now they have their own rooms, and they're real excited."

Also excited about the new home-away-from-home are next years students.

"I think they're all excited and a little uneasy," Beard said. "I think every time you go into a new school, you're always a little bit anxious."

Beard also said that parents can expect their children to enjoy more benefits of the school than simply newer facilities and an expanded curriculum. Smaller classes will also be a perk of the new building, which has more square footage than the old building that housed three grade levels.

The sixth- and seventh-grade students are a better combination of age groups than the seventh-, eighth- and ninth-grade school. The close proximity of the new building to other district schools such as Orchard Elementary, West Lane and R.O. Hawkins is also a positive change, Beard said, for access to other students and members of the district.

The completion of the building marks an end to the three years that have passed since the Jackson community began looking at the possibility of a new school.

A committee was formed in 1992, said Beard, of school board and community members to investigate the educational needs of the school district.

After receiving approval and funding, the district hired Pensel Construction to build the school. Ground was broken in August 1993, and the completed building was turned over to the school district in May.

Beard cited overwhelming community backing as a factor that helped the new school become a reality.

"They were tremendously supportive of the endeavor," he said. "They recognized that there was a need and acted on it."

Only one minor issue may be a thorn in the side of the school employees when the school year arrives, Beard said.

"If there's one thing we're short on, it's parking," he said. "We had to cut some of the original space to avoid a tax increase, and instead of cutting instructional space, we chose to trim there."