The Medford Area Public School District celebrated a historical moment on September 5 wth the formal groundbreaking for the high school renovation and expansion project

The Medford Area Public School District celebrated a historical moment on September 5 wth the formal groundbreaking for the high school renovation and expansion project.

School board members, community leaders, residents and high school and elementary school students joined in the groundbreaking ceremony that was held where the new two-story addition to the high school will be built over the next year. The addition will house new science and family and consumer

BRIAN WILSON/THE STAR NEWS education classrooms and include the renovation of other classroom spaces in the high school. The project also includes an expansion of the tech. ed. building connecting it to the main high school building. The projects were part of a referendum approved by voters last fall.

District administrator Laura Lundy addressed the crowd of students explaining that earlier this year she was at a town meeting and shared a newsletter with a picture from the dedication of the school forest. “Suddenly a woman in the audience looked at the photo and said, yeah, I was there,” Lundy said.

“That students is exactly why you're’ here now, 50 or 60 years from today, I want you to be able to say the very same thing,” Lundy said.

She noted that getting to the point of breaking ground on the project was not easy, taking faith, hard work and trust. She said some of the students great-grandparents had the same faith when they voted to build the original school building for $1.7 million in 1965.

“And now, here we are, decades later taking the next big step and ironically enough, this project will cost nearly 10 times that amount, but it's proof that our community continues to invest in our future,” Lundy said.

“Today, students I ask that you thank your parents, your neighbors and everyone in the community who made this possible. We chose to invest in you and in the generations to come and one day, the responsibility will fall to you. And when that time comes, I hope you'll remember this moment. Because this groundbreaking isn't just about new classrooms or construction, it's about our community. It's about the spirit of working together,” Lundy said.

School board president Dave Fleegel noted that projects like the expansion of the high school don’t happen on a whim. He said that at times leading up to projects, there are those who criticize or complain, but after the fact many stand proud of what has been accomplished.

Todd Higgins, director of masonry for Miron Construction, also spoke. Higgins is a 1991 graduate of Medford Area Senior High School and is the parent of Medford graduates.

“This community has shaped me, my family and so many others, and today marks milestones that will shape its future. We are here to break ground on a project that's more than just bricks and mortar. This is an investment to our students to our educators in the future education in Medford. The additions and renovations to our tech. ed. space, along with new science and skills classrooms, we'll open the doors to learning real world skills and prepare kids for the path they choose,” Higgins said. He went on to say that none of the projects would be possible without the leadership of the school board, Lundy, principal Jill Lybert, facilities manager Adam Schwarz and others.

“Our students deserve learning environments to match their potential. Our teachers deserve spaces that support your incredible work that they do every single day. And our community deserves to see the values reflected in the places where we learn and grow together,” he said.

Long-time high school science