Timberwood Elementary: The Future of Mercer County Schools
Photo provided by Rampage student photographer Rachel Hendrick.
From the rubble of outdated and crumbling buildings stands a new beacon of education and hope for the future of Mercer County’s educational system.
For the past eight years, the local school district of Mercer County has been planning to merge Brushfork Elementary and Bluewell Elementary due to outdated and inadequate infrastructure. After years of planning and yellow tape, the construction of the brand-new Timberwood Elementary is finally complete, and it has just started its first year of operation.
The new and improved Timberwood Elementary building was constructed in response to the deteriorating conditions of the previous school buildings. Those two schools were built more than 70 years ago during the 1930s and 1940s. Heating, plumbing, and foundational problems were some of the largest issues that plagued the schools. Some additional buildings outside of the main Brushfork building did not receive heat during the harsh winter months, but thankfully, no student will have to learn in the cold this year.
A number of teachers from the two schools who did not move to other districts will be continuing to work with their previous students or at the very least working in the same building with students. This sense of familiarity will hopefully help students better acclimate to their new surroundings and streamline their process of getting back into the swing of school, while trying to switch to a brand-new environment midway between their elementary school years.
Parents and students are not the only ones who have some adjusting to do. Many teachers started the school year with new classrooms that needed to be equipped with adequate supplies. In the rush to get the new school opened, teachers were left without basic furnishings and classroom essentials.
Even with the deadline and incoming student body, the teachers pulled through and set up shop in no time, yet again proving that teachers are some of the most persistent and adaptable people. These educators, despite challenges, are clearly willing to do whatever it takes to educate the youth of Mercer County. COVID 19 didn’t stop these educators from trying their hardest and neither will a simple building change.
The future of the nation is held in the hands of the youth; ensuring they are educated and given the proper opportunities is detrimental to society. The previous five years have presented countless hurdles for not only Mercer County but education as a whole. Timberwood knows this, emphasizing its STEM programs and allowing local colleges to speak at their ribbon-cutting and meet-the-teacher nights.