Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

South Carolina District Starts Construction on $50M Middle School Renovation

  • By Matt Jones
  • 02/24/26

Key Takeaways

  • The Aiken County Public School District broke ground on a $50-million renovation and expansion of North Augusta Middle School, funded by a voter-approved 2024 one-cent sales tax renewal.
  • The project will modernize the 1954 campus with a secure main entrance, upgraded building systems, flexible classrooms with natural light, centralized administration, and enhanced spaces for athletics, performing arts, exploratory learning, and outdoor education.
  • This renovation is part of a broader districtwide construction initiative that also includes upgrades at Midland Valley, South Aiken, and Silver Bluff High Schools.

The Aiken County Public School District in North Augusta, S.C., recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for the $50-million renovation and expansion of North Augusta Middle School, according to a news release. The project’s funding comes from the 2024 renewal of a one-cent sales tax approved by local voters. The district partnered with Goodwyn Mills Cawood (GMC) for design services and with Contract Construction for general contracting services.

Improvements to the campus will include a secure and clearly defined main entrance to the school, upgraded mechanical and electrical systems, and flexible classrooms with natural light. The new design will also include centralized administrative areas and dedicated spaces for the school’s athletics, performing arts, and exploratory learning programs, as well as outdoor learning areas.

The campus was originally built in 1954 and is facing issues related to aging infrastructure and outdated systems. An addition in 2010 modernized a portion of the campus, but the rest had previously remained stagnant.

“We have a great amount of needs in the community,” said Dr. Corey Murphy, district superintendent, in a local news story. “And the fact that we’re able to actually provide these needs and give them a cost-effective product as well as premier learning spaces is fun.”

Local news reports that the renovation of North Augusta Middle School is part of a larger construction push across the district, including work at Midland Valley, South Aiken, and Silver Bluff High Schools.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • University of Kentucky Receives $150M Gift Toward New Arts District

    The University of Kentucky’s Board of Trustees recently received a $150-million gift from The Bill Gatton Foundation, according to a university news release, to build a new arts district on the campus in Lexington, Ky. The new district will feature a new College of Fine Arts building and a multi-hundred-seat theater, among other amenities.

  • Preparing for the Next Era of Healthcare Education, Innovation

    Across the country, public universities and community colleges are accelerating investments in healthcare education facilities as part of a broader strategy to address workforce shortages, modernize outdated infrastructure, and expand clinical training capacity. These projects, which are often located at the center of campus health and science districts, are no longer limited to traditional classrooms.

  • Different Starting Points, Same End Goal

    Higher education campuses can enhance student experience by implementing mobile credentials to streamline building access, on-campus payments, and access to other amenities. This enables students to connect to their campuses through the technology they use most: their mobile devices.

  • Image courtesy of Kahler Slater

    UW–Madison Announces Completion of Morgridge Hall

    The University of Wisconsin–Madison recently announced that construction is complete on Morgridge Hall, a new academic building, according to a news release. The facility opened September 3 at the start of the fall semester, consolidating the School of Computer, Data & Information Sciences into a single facility for the first time.