Ringgold Middle School

Progress At Ringgold High And Middle Schools

NewsChannel 9 took a tour inside the school and saw several changes underway. Right now, most construction resources are dedicated to the high school but will shift to Ringgold Middle School in about a month.

Fresh paint, new duct work and scrubbed floors will greet Ringgold high school students.   Eighth graders moved here from Ringgold Middle will join them. They're scheduled to walk in on the first Tuesday in September. Superintendent Denia Reese feels confident deadlines will be met, "Things are moving very quickly. We have a huge team of people working in that building. I feel very confident that we're going to meet our deadline of July 31st for Ringgold High School."

That is the target for a "certificate of occupancy," followed by checklist items and detail tasks. Belfor project manager Ian Gardiner says storms of the last week hampered the restoration. The roof still has holes in it and Gardiner said fast approaching storms made covering it difficult However, he said crews adjusted and are on track.

This afternoon, crews put finishing touches on outermasonry work. And students will walk into a much lighter and brighter gym. The blue ceiling has been replaced with a bright white paint. And a big suprise is planned in the main gym. Principal Sharon Vaughn sort of "let the cat out of the bag," if you will. "A new depiction of the mascot, a new Tiger. Uh oh, I just gave that away, but they'll love it, they'll absolutely love it," Vaughn said.

At Ringgold Middle, demolition is complete on the eighth grade wing and opposite end of the school. Principal Mike Sholl believes students will "walk into a new school but it will still be Ringgold Middle." Sholl has kept close tabs on construction status, "Right now, they've pulled all the wiring, all the ceiling tiles, the grids, it's just a shell of a building. But August 29th is the date they (Belfor) say they'll have it completed."

Catoosa County Director of Operations Damon Raines said resources will shift, "But at this point, as soon as they finish up with the rehab on the high school, then all the labor that's there will be taken over to the middle school , so we'll have double the effort at that school."

Gardiner said installing the gym floor will be time consuming.The reason: the building has to be set back to the original climate to adjust for the wood contracting and expanding. A lasting memory has also been preserved from the David Moss Gymnasium. The "R" in the center of the old basketball floor was saved and will be displayed inside the school.

Josh Turner to Raise Money for Ringgold, GA Tornado Victims – The ...

Josh Turner will lend a hand and his voice to the community of Ringgold, GA, for a benefit concert called “After The Storm: Coming Together Benefit Concert With Josh Turner.”  The town was devastated by an F-4 tornado back in April, which killed nine people, including two students from Ringgold High School, and destroyed about 50% of the town’s businesses, homes and places of worship.  Ringgold High School and Ringgold Middle School both suffered major damage, and although insurance is paying to repair all the structural damage, there is no money to replace the athletic facilities and equipment and band equipment lost in the storm. Josh is a huge supporter of music and arts in schools with his Josh Turner Scholarship Fund, and now through his concert he’s going to try to help the school replace some of the facilities and equipment they lost in the storm.

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