MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WTVF) — When Jennifer Schmidt attended high school, the student body was much smaller and more manageable.
"Just, I think 82 or 85, something like that in a graduating class and just really small," Schmidt said.
As Murfreesboro grew, Tina Minor remembers the Oakland High School auditorium did not expand with the population.
"I did paint your wagon in that small auditorium. We couldn't even all get on the stage," Minor said.
Principal John Marshall says at a certain point students couldn't even use the facility.
"We've not been able to have an auditorium since probably about 15 years ago," Marshall said.
The expansion added even more classrooms and Marshall says Oakland High School could hold up to 2,500 students. The current enrollment is about 2,150 students.
Schmidt came to check out Oakland High School's ribbon cutting to celebrate its massive upgrade.
"It just shows that Oakland is just important as the other schools in the county that got more attention for the longest of time," Schmidt said.
Marshall expressed his excitement about the transformation and its impact on students.
"Gosh, it's hard to put in words. It can be summarized by the facial expressions of our kids, especially our performing arts students when they get into the auditorium for the first time and realize this is for us," Marshall said.
Large hallways now lead to a renovated band area, state of the art science labs and upgraded culinary arts facilities. A new 100,000 square foot facility connects two of the high school's original buildings.
"So like my grandson has had to go out into the elements in the winter, fall, rain, snow," Minor said.
Now Minor's grandson and Schmidt's daughter can both get to band more safely under one roof.
"They're not as crammed together. And then they put in the metal detectors and everything too, just to ensure safety," Schmidt said.
Want to see the incredible transformation at Oakland High School for yourself? Watch our full video report to get an inside look at the new auditorium, state-of-the-art science labs, and modern facilities that are changing education in Murfreesboro. Have thoughts about school renovations in your community? Share your story with reporter Kim Rafferty at kim.rafferty@NewsChannel5.com.
In this article, we used artificial intelligence to help us convert a video news report originally written by Kim Rafferty. When using this tool, both Kim and the NewsChannel 5 editorial team verified all the facts in the article to make sure it is fair and accurate before we published it. We care about your trust in us and where you get your news, and using this tool allows us to convert our news coverage into different formats so we can quickly reach you where you like to consume information. It also lets our journalists spend more time looking into your story ideas, listening to you and digging into the stories that matter.
It's migratory season for billions of animals across the United States. That means millions of birds and butterflies will take a rest stop in Tennessee and Kentucky as they move south for winter. Tennessee state parks are working to create vital habitat for the migrating monarchs. You may be able to follow their lead around your home to help reverse a declining monarch population.
- Lelan Statom
