The Pike County Board of Education broke ground on the Pike County Schools’ $1 million-plus Advanced Academics and Accelerated Learning Center at 205 Mockingbird Lane in Troy on Wednesday.

Dr. Mark Bazzell, superintendent of Pike County School said putting the shovels in the ground had been a long time coming, but the Advanced Academics and Accelerated Learning facility would pay high dividends for a long time.

Bazzell thanked the school board for its approval of the new facility that will serve the Virtual High School, academy programs, credit recovery, accelerated learning and fifth-through ninth-grade STEM initiatives.

The state-of-the arts facility will include classrooms, laboratories for science programs, computer labs and offices.

Bazzell thanked all of those who have supported the project, including the architectural firm of McKee & Associates, Whaley Construction Company and its business partners, First National Bank, Trojan Aviation and the Pike County Economic Development Corporation.

Bazzell also expressed appreciation to Ella Bell District 5 member of the State Board of Education who was instrumental in acquiring state funding for the facility that would assist in meeting the technical needs of the community.

Bell attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the Advanced Academics and Accelerated Learning facility.

She wanted to be among those who broke ground on a facility that will pay such high dividends.

“The Advanced Academics and Accelerated Learning center will not only be a benefit to the students of the Pike County School System, it will be a benefit to the entire community,” Bell said.  “These bright young students will be outstanding contributors to the economy. They will graduate high school with the benefits and opportunities that come with enrollment in an advanced and accelerate learning facility.”

Alex Whaley, Jr., Whaley Construction Company, said the Advanced Academics and Accelerated Learning center provides a fantastic opportunity for young people to do great things.

“It’s an outstanding educational facility to have in Pike County,” he said.

Bazzell said the Pike County Board of Education is always alert to innovative ideas and programs that will benefit its students.

The Advanced Academics and Accelerated Learning facility will benefit the school system’s students for years to come and will, as Bell said, in turn benefit all of Pike County.

The Pike County School System includes high schools at Brundidge and Goshen, a middle school at Banks kindergarten program and elementary schools at Brundidge, Banks and Goshen.

The school system also provides free pre-K programs at its elementary campuses