New Jones County PreK-12 complex ready for the first day of school

TRENTON, Jones County — The Jones County School System held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Monday for its new K-12 complex.

The school district is combining Jones Elementary, Middle, and High School into one campus.

School administrators, architects, teachers, and Governor Cooper spoke about the facility's use of solar panels and geothermal energy.

Governor Cooper and State Superintendent Mark Johnson both say the new school is one of the best of its kind in North Carolina.

Johnson says the school was long overdue for Jones County.

"They were further behind the rest of the state," Johnson says, "in terms of the quality of the buildings, how old they were, not just the technology in the classrooms, but also school safety concerns."

Architects say the building will generate 70 percent more energy than it consumes.

Governor Cooper, who most recently visited Jones County after Hurricane Florence, says he is glad to be back for what he called a celebration.

It’s particularly important," Cooper says, "to make sure every child - no matter where he or she lives, no matter what economic state they are in, no matter what they look like - that they have the opportunity to get a sound base education.

School officials say the K-12 complex will be ready for the first day of school on August 26.