School expansion continues in Baldwin

Schools break ground in Loxley, Daphne

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DAPHNE – Baldwin County’s three newest public-school expansions were celebrated Friday, May 28 in Loxley and Daphne.

Ground breakings took place at the new Stonebridge Elementary School under construction in Loxley and the ninth-grade academy at Daphne High School. Educators and local officials also held a ribbon-cutting for the new addition at Daphne Middle School.

“We started out at Stonebridge and did a groundbreaking there today for our newest elementary school that will be coming on-line summer of ’22,” Eddie Tyler, Baldwin County superintendent of education, said. “Then we moved over to Daphne Middle School and did a ribbon cutting on a 16-classroom addition at Daphne Middle School that’s fed by three elementary schools. Now, here we are at Daphne High School.”

Tyler said the projects are examples of how expansion has continued in the school system during the COVID-19 outbreak.

“This is another example of Baldwin County Public School System moving forward in spite of local, state, national worldwide issues that have affected all of us,” Tyler said. “We opened our doors on Aug. 12 and Baldwin County Public School System, our seven-member board endorsed that and approved it and we didn’t shut our doors. Sally shut us down for 11 days, if you count the weekend, but we were back up and running with the help of utilities, our municipalities, our fine maintenance crew, school crews. It just didn’t stop us. We were back up and running so we’re very appreciative of that.”

The addition at Daphne Middle School includes 16 classrooms, a teacher work room and conference room in an additional 22,591 square feet of space. The project also included an additional parking line added and a new car rider line.

“They needed more space and we built them a beautiful addition. You can see the architects and the contractor got together and said ‘how can we take the pressure off Whispering Pines,’ and the backup lines, a fantastic line for cars, more parking out front.

Tyler said the growth in the Daphne area is shown by the fact that the middle school is now fed by three elementary schools. Belforest Elementary opened in August 2020 to join Daphne Elementary and Daphne East as schools serving the community.

At Daphne High School, the new ninth-grade academy will 38,241 square feet of space when it opens in 2022. The facility includes 22 classrooms, two science rooms, an art room, conference room, administrative area and two teacher work rooms.

Tyler said the addition will provide needed space for the growing school.

“What this does, this ninth-grade academy, it takes pressure off the current footprint,” Tyler said. Daphne’s growing, but this ninth-grade academies will take those 400 or 500 ninth graders off the main campus. It would give more room for Fletcher Comer, the principal, and his staff to be creative with how they position teachers in that footprint building.”

In Loxley the new Stonebridge Elementary School, a 132,235 square foot facility, was initially slated to break ground in February. While weather issues caused a three-month delay in the official groundbreaking, the school remains on schedule to open in the fall, officials said.

The facility will include 56 classrooms with a shelter incorporated into the classroom wing; two pre-K classrooms; two S.T.E.M. Classrooms, six special needs rooms and two Pathway classrooms.

There will also be a cafetorium with seating for 480 with a stage, gymnasium with seating for 450, a chorus room, band room, media center with collaborative seating, security cameras for the entire campus, covered car rider and bus drop off area, Tyler said.

“Just as with all of our other facilities, this school will be completely paid for when it opens, thanks to our ‘Pay As You Go’ program,” said Tyler, who thanked the Baldwin County Commission for approving the $150 million allocation, adding that the county is getting ready to begin another $150 million allocation in the coming months.

The town of Loxley recently voted to annex the school’s property into its corporate limits, but when it opens, the facility will be within Spanish Fort High School’s feeder pattern.

Tyler also recognized officials from Bayshore Construction, overseeing the building of the facility, and Adams Stewart Architects, who designed the facility.