FORT RILEY, Kan. -- "Ecstatic, elated, happy, pleased, proud, all those words come to mind," is how Ronald Walker, superintendent, Geary County Schools Unified School District 475, described his feelings about the groundbreaking for the new Fort Riley Middle School.
"It's just a sheer point of relief," he said.
Walker, who had been advocating for a sorely-needed upgraded facility for seven years, saw his dream come to fruition as officials broke ground for Fort Riley's new middle school at a ceremony Jan. 22.
"It kind of reminded me of the story about 'The Little Engine That Could,'" Walker said in his remarks during the ceremony. "I think we should call ourselves 'The little district and the fort that did.'"
"The result of a community that cares is what brings us here today," said Brig. Gen. Donald MacWillie, senior commander, Fort Riley, during his remarks.
Walker and Fort Riley Middle School Principal Joe Handlos thanked the governmental agencies that were instrumental in helping them secure funding for the project, as well as their military and community partners.
"Gosh, wow. I can't say enough about the command of Fort Riley," Walker said. "The ability to cooperate, the ability to help forge ideas and help guide us was tremendous in this whole process."
That feeling was mutual.
"I like his vision," MacWillie said of Walker. "He's a good man. It's a good team. Today, Fort Riley gets a little bit better because (our) Soldiers and Families deserve the very best. Today, we add further excellence to the educational opportunities for our sons and daughters."
The new Fort Riley Middle School, scheduled for completion in August 2014, will accommodate more students and incorporate cutting-edge technology and design features in order to provide improved educational capabilities.
"We'll do our best to serve your children," Walker told the group gathered for the ceremony. "That's our ultimate goal. No matter what happens, we want to always make certain that the students in USD 475 receive a world-class education. That's what we're all about."
MacWillie said the groundbreaking for the facility signifies a new beginning.
"As we ceremonially break dirt, we signify a new beginning for our children," MacWillie said. "I pass the best wishes from the 'Big Red One' to all the students, the administrators, the faculty and the parents that are going to bring this school to life. I challenge all involved to bring a personality to this building, a personality that reflects a partnership between a great school and a great community."
The new school will be located adjacent to the existing school, which will be demolished once the new facility is operational.
The facility will be a LEED Silver certifiable building, meaning its "green" features will make it an environmentally-friendly structure designed to lower consumption and costs, while increasing health and safety elements, according to the U.S. Green Building Council website.
The new school will be home to a high-tech media hub and student lounge, designed to facilitate innovative learning and collaboration.
The media hub is Walker's favorite element of the new facility, he said.
The high-tech area, which combines a café-style atmosphere with a learning environment, will include a socialization area, where students can collaborate, as well as a more traditionally quiet area further in for students who need to concentrate.
"We think we've hit upon a nice thing," Walker said. "I want the kids to be as comfortable as I can possibly get them."
Additionally, the school will have two new gymnasiums, one of which will be FEMA-certified and able to withstand wind events of up to 250 mph.
Most notably, the new school will be able to accommodate between 700 and 800 students, a much-needed expansion.
"At approximately 40 percent over capacity, it is clear the school at Fort Riley was in desperate need of an upgrade," said Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins in a release issued when the award of the $35.2 million grant was announced in December 2012. "I am pleased to see the Department of Defense recognize our brave service men, women and their Families who deserve quality education facilities. They sacrifice every day for this country, and we want them to be assured they will be taken care of at home."
"This is great news for the Soldiers and their Families who call Fort Riley home," said U.S. Senator Pat Roberts in the release. "Last year, I toured the school, and it was clear it was in need of modernization, and we had to address the overcrowding."
Walker thanked all of the organizations involved for their collaborated efforts.
"This has been a long, long time coming. It culminates about seven years of extensive, intensive work with the Department of Defense, Fort Riley, USD 475, our great, great Soldiers and their Families here on post, and it's been a cooperative effort, and, for that, I say 'thank you,'" Walker said during the ceremony.
The grant, awarded as part of a DoD program to benefit public schools on military installations, was a "first-ever partnership with the Department of Defense and public schools," Walker said in a release issued prior to the groundbreaking. "It is historic."
An additional $6.7 million of non-federal funding will be used for the project.
"To see now that we're going to have a state-of-the-art facility that's going to be second to none anywhere, I think is just a point of pride for Fort Riley, members of command, our Soldiers, for their Families, for their kids, and it's also one for USD 475," Walker said.
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