From engineering labs to media studios, Campbell County Middle School’s aging campus is being transformed into a modern learning hub, with work expected to wrap up in 2028.
Campbell County Schools’ new superintendent, Adam Ritter, updated the Alexandria City Council on July 16 about the ongoing updates at Campbell County Middle School.
The Campbell County Middle School building, located at 8000 Alexandria Pike, Alexandria, is a multi-phase complex. The oldest section of the building, which was originally constructed as a high school, opened in 1939. Additional sections were built in 1948, 1962 and 1969.
A large part of the renovations, Ritter said, will include designated learning spaces for the Campbell County Schools’ 29 Career and Technical Education pathways, which span PK-12. Examples of the programs include Advanced Manufacturing/Automation Engineering (partnered with TradesNKY), Information Technology, Culinary Arts, Healthcare Science, and Law & Public Safety.
“We are redesigning this building to meet the innovative classwork that we have going on, but all of the guts of the building needed to be replaced,” Ritter said. “All of the HVAC systems and the electrical systems and all of those things. It was time for them to be replaced.”
Those new spaces include:
- Redesigned and new classrooms
- An enlarged and open cafeteria
- Performing arts platform
- Makerspace hub
- Library and learning commons
- Media and arts studios
- Auxiliary gym and updated locker rooms
- Construction technology lab
- Engineering center
- Gifted and talented development space
- Band and choral wing (in the old auxiliary gym)
“There’ll be an addition of 15 classrooms onto the back of the building,” Ritter said. “We’re adding classroom spaces onto the back. The north building is going to be going through a redesign of all classrooms. They’re completely getting redesigned.”
Ritter said the engineering center, construction trades lab, media and arts studios, makers hub and the library will move to the back end of the building downstairs, near the area where the cafeteria currently exists and some of the old locker room spaces.
The new cafeteria will be located at the back of the building, adjacent to the current cafeteria and the existing “big gym.” On top of the cafeteria, Ritter said, is where the new auxiliary gym is being built.
“The cafeteria will be a much-needed improvement for our building for sure,” he said. “The auxiliary gym being added on is so that we could make room for those fine art spaces in the old auxiliary gym.”
The south end of the building will become the district’s central office, and Ritter said the Alexandria Educational Center will eventually locate there as well. The Alexandria Educational Center is a public alternative, online, and gifted education school currently located at 51 Orchard Lane in Alexandria.
Ritter said this is to help consolidate spaces and save on operational costs.
“I think it makes a lot of sense, even moving the Alexandria Education Center,” said Alexandria City Councilmember Laura Fincher. “I know that you have Officer Lane [school resource officer Amber Lane] serving middle school in the Alexandria Education Center. It’ll be easier for her to just be all in one building instead of having to go back and forth. So I think a lot of things would make sense.”
The football field is also being redone with a turf field and a track around it. There will also be tennis and pickleball courts. Ritter said in the meantime, middle school and youth games will be played at the high school and at Crossroads Elementary.
“They’re going to renovate each floor of the north building one floor at a time,” Ritter said. “So we’re going to be kind of moving kids around each year as we go through this. Then when they get that done, we’ll move all the kids to the north end, and then they will do the south end of the building.”
The middle school redesign phase plan spans June 2026 through Aug. 2028 and is as follows:
Phase 1A: June 2026 – Aug. 4, 2027
- Level 1 North wing renovation
- New classrooms addition
Phase 1B: June 2026 – January 2028
- South wing kitchen, cafeteria, auxiliary gym and performance platform addition
Phase 2A: December 2026 – Aug. 4, 2027
- Early work at old gym/new band and fine arts room
Phase 2B: January 2027 – Aug. 4, 2027
- Level 2 North wing renovation (early work on 2nd shift)
- Full turnover of level 2 in June 2027
Phase 2C: March 2027 – Aug. 4, 2027
- Level 3 North wing renovation (early work on 2nd shift)
- Full turnover of level 3 in June 2027
Phase 3A: January 2028 – August 2028
- Middle wing level 1
Phase 3B: June 2028 – August 2028
- Central wing level 2
- Central wing level 3
Phase 4: June 2027 – August 2028
- South wing renovation levels 1–3
- Complete August 2, 2028
