Guilford County Schools celebrated the opening of the new Union Hill Elementary facility with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Sept. 25. The program involved all of the school’s approximately 450 students, who paraded into the ceremony with decorated banners representing their classes. Current and past teachers, principals and students joined in the celebration, including a student who attended the school when it first opened 80 years ago.

The new facility replaces the original Union Hill school, which was built in 1929. The project was a part of the 2003 school bond. The new school features state-of-the-art technology and design – a big change from the original building, which was a one-room schoolhouse on Jackson Lake Road in High Point. The new school has three classroom wings that can accommodate approximately 750 students.

The design of the new building incorporates some of the unique features of the old school. Original precast pieces saved from the old school were placed in the eaves of the new school. In addition, the original school bell was found in the old building’s cupola and is now in the library awaiting a more permanent home. This bell preserves a key piece of the Union Hill history.