Written by: Ansley Hall and published in The Martinsburg Journal on April 30, 2025, link to the article HERE.
GERRARDSTOWN — Berkeley County Schools celebrated the groundbreaking of Mountain Ridge Primary School on Wednesday.
Through the support of the 2020 bond, this new school will give students the safe learning environment they need to thrive and address the rapidly growing population in Berkeley County.
Once completed, the building will be 59,955 square feet and will include seven kindergarten classrooms, 14 first- and second-grade classrooms, a cafeteria, gym, media center and innovation lab. The building will have space for 140 kindergarten students and 350 first- and second-grade students, with room for additional classrooms.
With the new school will come a new access road to not just the primary school but also Mountain Ridge Intermediate and Middle Schools, making traffic easier for families and bus drivers.
The ceremony began with the presentation of colors by the Berkeley County Schools Air Force Junior ROTC and the national anthem, sung by Mountain Ridge Middle School student Vivian Mayes. This was followed by the Pledge of Allegiance, led by Gerrardstown Elementary and Inwood Primary students.
Then, Berkeley County Schools Superintendent Ryan Saxe welcomed guests and shared a few words about the project.
“This moment marks more than just the beginning of construction but marks the beginning of possibilities for hundreds of young learners in Berkeley County,” Saxe said.
“This project, like others supported by the 2020 bond, reflects a promise — a promise to our students, our families and staff that Berkeley County Schools is committed to building a future where every child begins their academic journey in a safe, state-of-the-art and purposely designed learning environment,” Saxe added.
Just like the school’s mascot, the monarch butterfly, students will grow, change and take flight. Saxe thanked everyone who made this vision possible, for supporting the bond and playing important roles in building this new school.
During the ceremony, guests also heard remarks from Lewis Mullenax, executive director of elementary school leadership; West Virginia School Building Authority Executive Director Andy Neptune; Berkeley County Schools Deputy Superintendent of Operations Justin Schooley; and Berkeley County Board of Education President Jackee Long.
Long shared her excitement to see the project finally move forward.
“I started my career in this area, in Bunker Hill and Gerrardstown,” Long said. “For eight years, I was up here, so I know how tight this community is and what education means to them and how they appreciate whatever is done for them. This board put a lot of work and effort into this and to see it where we are today, when I saw them, it almost brought tears to my eyes, because I know they are going to thrive and learn and achieve in this building.”
With construction under way, Mountain Ridge Primary School is expected to be complete in June 2026. Berkeley County Schools is currently planning for students to arrive at the new school for the 2026-2027 school year.