Crawford County gets new school, football field

You would never know by looking at the parking lot of Crawford County Middle and High School that the old high school used to stand in its place.
Crawford County Football Field

ROBERTA, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — You would never know by looking at the parking lot of Crawford County Middle and High School that the old high school used to stand in its place.

The freshly-paved parking lot is in front of a brand new facility that houses the high school and middle school.

“We were having mechanical problems and things like that with the building, so it was time for that school to phase out,” Interim Superintendent for Crawford County Schools Christopher Ridley explained. “That was why we decided to close that school and build a new middle and high school complex.”

Ridley says the middle and high school complex now has top-of-the-line safety features. It also provides more options for academics and recreation.

“Students are excited about volleyball,” he said. “We’re just getting volleyball this year. For academics, we have our healthcare field. We have some of our CTE courses that are new as well.”

In addition to a brand new building, the school also has a brand new football field. An anonymous donor and SPLOST funds paid for the $1.2 million turf field.

Crawford County Head Football Coach Craig Puckett says the field is top of the line with CoolPlay technology.

“Everybody’s just excited about it and loving the opportunity to get out there and just be on something nice. The school is beautiful now,” he said. “Our facilities are great, and there’s just an overall attitude that everyone is excited and thankful for what we have.”

Crawford County Middle and High School Principal Chad Chafin says the football field will be used for football, soccer and more.

“I’ve talked to the band director about next year having a single A competition here for bands our size,” hes aid. “JROTC can actually have competitions on the field. We can use it for several aspects.”

According to Ridley, the district plans to use SPLOST funds to update other facilities throughout the county. The old middle school is now the elementary school, and the old elementary school is now a primary school for the district.

Categories: Crawford County, Education, Featured, Local News, WMGT