MUSKEGON, Mich — After three years of construction, Charles Hackley Middle School has finally opened its doors to students.
Students started this school year on Monday with a new curriculum, larger classrooms and additional safety features.
“It's absolutely beautiful, but it's comfortable and it's inviting,” Charles Hackley Principal LaKisha Loudermill said.
The school’s design aims for comfort. For teachers, science labs are all in one classroom. "In years past, teachers had to move students into other classrooms for lab days. Now, it’s all in one location.
The school also has state-of-the-art equipment to utilize. An exciting new feature is the desks and chairs. Each set has the ability for students to adjust the size of the desks. Shorter students can lower the desk’s legs and taller students can extend them.
The school also plans to set up students for success with a new learning program aimed at career readiness.
“Our theme this year is honoring our past and building our future,” said Matthew Cortez, Muskegon Public Schools superintendent. “We are changing over to Ford Next Generation Learning model of academies, and we're going to be the fourth district in the state of Michigan to do it.”
In addition to Ford, Cortez said the school plans to build strong connections with businesses in Muskegon. This would allow students to work with local businesses that hold potential future jobs for students.
“We're going through our master planning process this year,” Cortez said. “Then it will really hit the ground running in the fall of '25.”
Safety was also a priority. The school implemented a "Blue Light system" that allows students and faculty to have a plan of action in case an intruder enters the building.
The system would flash a blue light throughout each classroom and hallway, making everyone in the building aware that a lockdown is in place. The system would also notify police.