STEAMing ahead
Oakhurst is renovated, renamed and reopened
Oakhurst has had many lives
in CMS. It began as an elementary
school, became a high school and
later reverted to an elementary
school. A devastating fire in 1958
destroyed everything but the gym.
It was rebuilt and a car crashed
into the building two years later.
In 2011, Oakhurst Elementary
was closed because of budgetary
constraints. On Nov. 19, students,
parents, staff and community
members gathered to celebrate
the dedication of the renamed,
reopened and renovated Oakhurst
STEAM Academy.
Today, Oakhurst is a partial
magnet with a focus on science,
technology, engineering, arts
and mathematics. The school
has 95,000 square feet and 37
classrooms. The renovation is one
of the projects from the 2013 bond.
The renovations included building
code updates, an upgraded fire and
sprinkler system and new playgrounds, as well as new furniture, fixtures and
equipment.
“Just like the roots of the mighty oak tree, our school continues to
thrive,” said Principal Tisha Greene during the ceremony.
Tom Tate, who represents District Four on the Charlotte-Mecklenburg
Board of Education, told students to
go to school ready to learn, to read
everything they could set their eyes
on and, most importantly, to ask
questions.
“We are grateful that the
members of our county passed the
2013 bond. With their help we have
been able to reopen this school,” he
said.
The program also included
remarks from Superintendent Ann
Clark.
“For four years, I visited
Oakhurst when it was an office
building, and I would see the mural
located in the front of the building
and think, ‘This building needs to
have children,’” said Clark. “I almost
did a celebratory fist pump when I
walked in this morning because now
there are children in this building.”
The ceremony also featured two
musical selections sung by students,
followed by a ribbon-cutting and a
school tour.
“I feel that our school is truly a pilla