By: Ainsley Hall
HEDGESVILLE — Tomahawk Intermediate School welcomed students into its new fourth-grade wing on Tuesday, adding five new classrooms.
The project was started in July 2024 and was funded by the 2022 bond. After completing the first part of the expansion last week, the second part, which will add an additional five classrooms, is set to open this Thursday.
Paul Tyson, director of facilities and maintenance with Berkeley County Schools, has been heading up the project for a few years, making sure it went smoothly. Tyson shared that some of the new features in the new wing include dimming lights and sensors by the window that dim the lights depending on the light outside. These lights are designed to save energy, creating a more efficient learning space.
Tyson was also impressed with the architects who worked on the project, as they made the new wing a seamless addition to the school.
“The architects did a great job making sure it matches bricks, and the roofing matches the rest of the school,” Tyson said. “They even changed the formula for the bricks to match the older bricks. It looks great, and we are really proud to share this with the students.”
To celebrate the new wing, teachers, Berkeley County Schools staff and board members gathered to welcome students and have a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the beginning of a new education journey.
Principal Krista Ematrudo was excited to welcome students into the new wing alongside her staff.
“We are excited for students to experience this updated facility,” she said. “We want them to receive their education in an environment they deserve. I’m so grateful to the community, who supported the bond. Without it, none of this would have been possible.”
Ematrudo shared that for so long, the entrance to the new wing was boarded up, so students didn’t have the chance to see the wing until it was opened up on Friday. Students were excited to see their new classrooms and bring their stuff in before officially moving in on Tuesday. A group of students even helped make a balloon arch to celebrate this special event.
“Their faces said it all,” Ematrudo said. “Even though they got to see the space on Friday, today is even better, because they will see everything set up and ready to learn.”
Superintendent Ryan Saxe was also excited to open up the new school wing and thanked the community for its support. This is just one project that Berkeley County Schools is working on to deal with overcrowding in the schools as the county continues to grow.
“Adding these new classrooms will help alleviate the pressure here at Tomahawk,” Saxe said. “These are state-of-the-art classrooms that we couldn’t be more proud of.”