Talk of a new Hartselle High School has been going on for many years. Several boards of education have worked on this project and two superintendents have been involved in its planning and implementation.

On Mon., April 1, Hartselle students attended classes in the new facility on Bethel Road. Like a phoenix rising from the desert, the new school emerged from what once was a hay field into a multi-million dollar state of the art education center.

Referring to the building as just a school could almost be likened to referring to homemade ice cream as just another dessert. This facility is much more than just a school. If used as intended, this facility, along with the talented faculty, has the ability to change the lives of the hundreds of young people who will enter and exit the hallways now and in the future.

The state of the art computer and science labs will be the envy of many, and with technology being so important in education at this point in time, the opportunities are almost unlimited for those who will spend their high school years here. The talent and dedication of the teaching staffs of Hartselle City Schools has always been apparent and proven through student test scores as well as the number and value of academic scholarships awarded to Hartselle students year after year. Now the teachers will have the increased space, facilities and equipment to further mold the young minds placed in their care.

While academics are definitely the highest-ranking goal of the system, the athletic facilities to be offered at the new facility are not left lacking. From a competition gym, seen many times only in a college setting, to practice fields on site for all sports, to a field house large enough to hold football, baseball, and softball, the winning tradition of Hartselle High will continue.

For the liberal arts, chorus, band and art, classrooms deserving of their talents are now available. Great music and drama will be presented in a setting designed to provide the best sound, lighting and acoustics and provide space on campus for these performances.

The new school is and will be a great addition to Hartselle. It not only provides a great facility for high school students but also increases space in the other educational facilities in our city. For many years, teachers have taught in tight quarters, especially at the junior high, and starting this fall the overcrowding there will be eliminated. The schools in Hartselle have long been a shining light and drawing card for this community and the new tenant at 1000 Bethel Road will only add to this.

Randy Garrison is the president and publisher of the Hartselle Enquirer.