‘Welcomed change’: Renovated Richmond County high school makes room for 9th graders, new facilities

RICHMOND COUNTY, N.C. — Ninth graders will walk through the doors of Richmond County Senior High School on Monday as the first ninth-grade class to join the other high schoolers on the main campus.

For years, the school had separate buildings three miles apart. And the ninth graders would be bused to and from the main campus on a daily basis.

Now, new construction brings them together. Channel 9’s Gina Esposito toured the school and learned about the changes that made this possible.

Beth McDougald is getting her classroom ready for the students to arrive on Monday.

“Still learning which way the keys go in the locks,” she told Esposito.

McDougald is a health science educator at Richmond County Senior High School. She recently moved into her new classroom and lab.

“I was here on this campus in a different location, and we had 9th graders being bused over for first block and fourth block,” she told Esposito.

The district spent $11.5 million in federal money to pay for 19 new classrooms to fit the 450 ninth graders. The school added a brand new building and transformed existing campus spaces into classrooms.

In one section of the old building, the school added a brand new weight room and two new classrooms. Esposito was told the space had previously been underutilized as a meeting space.

“It’s gonna be a change, but I think it’s a welcomed change,” Principal Joyce McRae said.

McRae said it has been a long-time goal to bring the four grades together. And it had always been an issue until now.

The project also included a second gym to support school athletes and add to the school’s spirit.

“Even though they were Raiders at Ninth Grade Academy that had the same mascot, I think they’ll feel like they’re really included and a part of us from the beginning to the end of the day,” McRae said.

And McDougald said this is the high school experience that students are ready for.

“We’re very happy to have the space, ability to bring all Raiders together on one campus,” McDougald said. “It’s been a long time coming.”

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