Students, parents and alums packed the new cafeteria at Hug to listen to local politicians and educators give thanks to those who've helped the new Hug become a reality. In fact, it took school board president and Hug alum, Angie Taylor, over seven minutes to thank everybody involved with the project in her opening remarks.
The new building will be able to host 2,200 students, some of whom have been rezoned from North Valleys High School and Spanish Springs High School to reduce overcrowding. Hug rising senior Acacia Stephens was rezoned from Spanish Springs.
“I think it’s important that everyone’s excited," Stephens said. "The old Hug had a really bad reputation, and I feel like this new building is a fresh start. I think it will be good for everyone."
Stephens is eager to take a culinary class in the new building and practice cheerleading in the two gyms on campus.
Marilyn Bennett is the librarian at Hug. She worked in the old building for 15 years.
“We’ve never had enough room to have a makerspace, so it’s a new thing we are trying," Bennett said. "I'm excited about that to get students more hands-on education."
In addition to Bennett’s library and makerspace, the school has rooms for group work, specialized labs, a theater and a family resource center.
Jose Davila IV is a corps member for Report for America, an initiative of the GroundTruth Project.
