VALDOSTA, GA. (WTXL) — Classrooms filled with curiosity. A gym built for big energy. And a growing school finally getting the space it needs.
- A $7 million SPLOST investment added 12 classrooms and a full-sized gym to Dewar Elementary.
- The new gym will be fully operational by next school year, expanding learning and community use.
- Watch the video below to see how students and officials are enjoying the new facilities.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
"I like gym, I like balls… at the end of the day, we can play basketball and dodgeball. I just like taking balls from people."
That's fifth grader Aaliyah Newton, already dreaming big inside Dewar Elementary's brand-new gym.
For years, this school has been bursting at the seams—nearly 900 students learning across hallways, classrooms, and portables scattered around campus. Growth brought opportunity, but it also brought challenges.
Now, after over two years of the district’s initial request, a seven-million-dollar SPLOST investment has become a permanent solution.
Twelve new classrooms and a full-sized gym are giving students and teachers something they've never had before—room to move, room to learn, and room to come together.
For Aaliyah, the difference is obvious.
"The new gym is like way bigger. Our old gym was like really small—we couldn't like really run around or like play tag."
And it's not just about playtime.
Lowndes County Schools Superintendent Sandra Wilcher says the new gym opens the door to more learning, more events, and more opportunities for the entire community.
"We'll be able to host events here at the school and give our PE teachers the ability to do more with students. It's something we wanted not just for students, but for the community too."
District leaders say the project was carefully planned to be a responsible use of taxpayer dollars—keeping students safe, teachers supported, and classrooms under one roof.
Students are using the classrooms now, but Wilcher says the gym will be fully operational by the time school comes back next year.
In Valdosta, I'm Malia Thomas, reporting for ABC27.
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