Laurens County students benefiting from 2 new schools

The Laurens County School District is looking to the future thanks to the addition of two new schools: East Laurens High School and West Laurens Middle School.

DUBLIN, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — The Laurens County School District is looking to the future thanks to the addition of two new schools: East Laurens High School and West Laurens Middle School.

Students are getting to learn in new facilities with new technology.

“I feel like I’m going to leave my mark in this school,” student Alexis Reed said.

Reed will be the part of the first graduating class from the new East Laurens High School.

She’s also one of more than 600 students getting to experience the new opportunities the old school couldn’t offer.

One of those new opportunities is the basketball court.

“Seeing the new shiny floors and the bleachers and being able to see my senior banner hanging,” Reed said.

The 150,000 square foot high school, located at 1010 Highway 80 in East Dublin, is two stories tall.

There’s also a new West Laurens Middle School.

Middle School Principal Reed Waldrep says the new building allows for more students to enroll.

“It also allows for more opportunities in our connections classes,” he said. “Our vocational classes, what some people know them as, we were able to expand that program and offer our kids a little bit more of a glimpse of what they’ll see in high school.”

“For the last three years, 6th grade was at the old high school building, and the 7th and 8th was across the parking lot in the old junior high building, and I ran between the two,” Waldrep said.

He’s says he’s looking forward to watching the students grow academically.

The 186,000 square foot middle school, which is also two stories tall, is located on 879 Honeysuckle Road in Dublin.