TRAVELERS REST, S.C. (WSPA) – A middle school in Greenville County will soon get a big upgrade.
Nearly 30 acres of property has been purchased along Highway 25 to replace the current Norhtwest Middle School.
The Greenville County School District said four elementary schools feed into Northwest Middle, those being Duncan Chapel, Gateway, Heritage, and Slater Marietta.
The district said Northwest Middle was built in 1973. In 1998, the school underwent multi-million dollar renovations.
Now, Executive Director of Facilities, Scott Carlin, said it’s time for another upgrade.
“There are two things the consultants looked at,” Carlin said. “One was how was the educational adequacy of the school. How well does it accommodate the curriculum that you want to have at this particular school. The second thing they looked at was how is the school from a physical standpoint.”
Carlin told 7NEWS that building a new school is a top priority. The current school can only hold around 800 students.
School officials said the new Northwest Middle School will be built off Highway 25 near Belvue and Robertson Roads. The property is nearly 30 acres and is more than 10 minutes away from the current school.
“I am excited that they’re rebuilding a new school,” Kassie Quinn, an employee nearby the school’s new location, said. “I went to Northwest. All my family has been to Northwest, so it is definitely old and definitely needs to be redone. I would say that the location is kind of odd.”
Carlin said the school will have a different look, and the school could possibly be a couple of stories high. The school is estimated to hold around 1,000 students.
“There will be plenty of car stacking so there will be plenty of car lines on the campus and then of course we will be upgrading the traffic areas around the school in accordance with SCDOT and their requirements for us,” Carlin said.
Carlin said they are not trying to create traffic problems for the community.
We spoke with a nearby business owner, who said they are worried about potential traffic issues.
“Someone’s tires almost have to off the road in order for you to both fit on Belvue,” Quinn said. “It is a very skinny road.”
Carlin said the school’s entrance will sit on the opposite side of the highway, off Robertson Road. The bus route will be off Belvue Road.
He said in compliance with SCDOT, a widening project will take place, along with other road construction projects.
The school district sees the property as a great opportunity.
“We are excited to be able to provide high quality educational facilities and certainly academic spaces for the entire community,” Carlin said. “This is just going to bring this existing school up to par with what everyone else enjoys in Greenville County.”
Carlin said they expect the new school to be open for students in August of 2027. Northwest Middle School students typically go to Travelers Rest High School.
