LITTLE ROCK, Ark.(KTHV) - For years parents have been asking for a middle school in West Little Rock and on Monday that wish will come true.
The old Leisure Arts building has been transformed into Pinnacle View Middle School on Ranch Drive. Pinnacle View Middle School teachers were busy Friday getting classrooms ready to welcome 250 sixth grade students on Monday.
"It's that new beginning, new transition. We want them to be independent, but they’re still young children," says 6th grade English teacher Barbara Kirkpatrick.
In her 26 years of teaching Kirkpatrick says she has never been a part of opening a new school.
"Faced a few challenges at first," she says. "We had to come up with new procedures, new policies, new missions, so getting it on the ground floor was very exciting to work from the ground up."
With new desks, new books and state of the art technology, the former office building provides a unique campus for both staff and students.
Kirkpatrick says, "there's not a school that looks like this in the state and they're very excited about it. Some people even compare it to a shopping mall or even high school or college level."
Only sixth graders will attend the school this fall. Construction will start on a warehouse adjacent to the building. That will be the permanent middle school for sixth, seventh, and eighth graders in the coming years.
"This is a groundbreaking moment in all of our lives, not only the students, administrators and district, but also these children and parents," she says.
Kirkpatrick says there's a sense of pride and relief to finally see a middle school on the west side of town.
"They're very proud that this is going to be their community school," Kirkpatrick says, "and that this is going to bring a stronger sense of community for the Little Rock School District out here."
There is a formal ribbon cutting for the school Saturday August 13th at 10:00 a.m. The public is invited and encouraged to come out and see the school.