Ribbon Cutting Set For New McDuffie County Elementary School

Students in pre-kindergarten through third grade will attend a brand new school when classes begin August 4 in McDuffie County.

The new Maxwell Elementary School on Mount Pleasant Road in Thomson consolidates the old Maxwell Elementary and Thomson Elementary schools.

Site preparation work for the 115,000 square foot facility began in October of 2023, with a construction ground-breaking ceremony held in April, 2024.

McDuffie County School Superintendent Dr. Mychele Rhodes said the building is a spoke and hub design, which will allow the entire building to be supervised from one central location.

Maxwell Elementary has 55 instructional units, including 37 regular classrooms, five pre-k classrooms, four STEM labs, four dedicated special education rooms, a computer lab, art room, full-sized gym, music room, media center, cafetorium, and an outdoor classroom.

There's room to construct an additional 12 classrooms if needed in the future.

"We are so proud of the new Maxwell Elementary School and the high-quality education that this state-of-the-art building will help us provide. It is going to be something that the children in this community enjoy for many years to come," said Rhodes.

Buses will enter from White Oak Road, and the parent drop-off and pick-up entrance will be on the bypass.

A grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony will be held at Maxwell Elementary on July 30 from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.

There will be remarks from Dr. Rhodes, McDuffie County Board of Education Chair Susan Benning-Tutt, and Parrish Construction Group Vice President Jim Fallon.

The school will be open for tours after the ceremony.

Maxwell Elementary School Principal Jamie Maddox said she's excited for the community to see the new building.

"Our beautiful new facility is a place where students will grow, learn, and thrive," Maddox added.

The new school features energy-efficient systems that will save money on power consumption, as well as state-of-the-art technology.