Spring Park Elementary opens in Green Cove Springs ahead of new school year

GREEN COVE SPRINGS, Florida. – The newest school in Clay County is officially open.

School officials cut the ribbon Wednesday morning for Spring Park Elementary School in Green Cove Springs.

Currently, more than 600 students walk the corridors of the school, which will take students from kindergarten to sixth grade.

Bo Outman, who is in fifth grade, will be one of the first Spring Park owls to go to school.

“I hang out with a lot of great people,” Bo said. “I study with many of my friends and also make new ones.”

There are 48 classrooms on campus, a cafeteria and assembly hall share space, there are several first-class playgrounds, and the school is equipped to serve as an emergency shelter in case of need.

Spring Park Elementary School Cafeteria (WJXT)

Tiffany Outman is the first headmaster of an elementary school. She spent 13 years as a principal in Clay County.

“The ultimate goal of any education system is to produce literate, productive citizens of society,” said Principal Outman. “To do this in my world, I focus on two things: I focus on working hard and on being kind. These are the words I live by and the path I lead.

Every classroom at the school has the latest technology, including smart boards. They are adjustable. Thus, teachers can adjust it to their own height or to the growth of their students.

Other technologies keep students safe at school. Every door in the classroom is locked as soon as it closes. They can only be opened from the inside, where each door will have peepholes for teachers and students.

“Just the opportunity to provide this space for the kids in the area to really become a community school,” Principal Outman said. “The building is beautiful. The people who fill it out are phenomenal. I can’t say enough about our teaching staff, our service staff. We are ready to welcome scientists on August 10 and really provide them with a world-class education.”

Spring Park Elementary School Library (WJXT)

Terri Ann Dix, a sixth-grade math teacher, has been an instructor for 25 years and said the opportunity was unique.

“I’m getting goosebumps,” Deeks said of the official opening. “I actually get goosebumps and tears in my eyes just to be able to positively impact this community.”

“I’m part of the history of Clay County and that means a lot to me,” Bo said.

The school cost just over $40 million. Spring Park Elementary School began construction in May 2022.

Clay County Spring Park Elementary is not the only one in our area. In Duval County, Spring Park Elementary School serves students in the Spring Park neighborhood near San Marco.

Copyright 2023 by WJXT News4JAX – All rights reserved.

Content Source