SHORT GAP— When the governor of their state paid a surprise visit to the new school’s gymnasium on Thursday, accompanied by his well-known English bulldog, Babydog, the students at Frankfort Elementary cheered.
Additionally, Governor Jim Justice brought excellent news when he gave students a cheque for $100,000 to buy playground equipment. Despite having every modern convenience, the roughly $29 million school lacked a playground for pupils to use during recess.
The governor remarked, “Babydog and I enjoyed touring your new school, and it has everything you need.” However, one item remains absent: a playground. We brought $100,000 so that we could make sure you got that playground today.
More than 700 pupils in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade from Fort Ashby Primary, Wiley Ford Primary, and Frankfort Intermediate schools flocked to Frankfort Elementary when it opened in August. “This school is simply amazing,” Justice remarked. “As Rockets, you embody the best of West Virginia, and if I could give you one piece of advice, it would be to always aim high.”
Shares love for west Virginia
As students and staff gathered in the gym, Mineral County Schools Superintendent Troy Ravenscroft said, “Governor Justice has helped to improve education and infrastructure.” “He understands the value of education,” stated TJ Connor, principal of Frankfort Elementary School. “He shares our love for West Virginia.”
According to Connor, Justice was a member of the School Building Authority and approved the last $25 million required to complete the school’s construction, playing a “huge role” in the project. In order to purchase a birthday present for Babydog from the school store, Connor gave the governor a bill from the kids’ “token economy system.”
Then, on Tuesday, his almost constant companion’s fifth birthday, she sent him a gift bag filled with toys and food. Justice informed the students, “Babydog loves you more than you can ever imagine.”
The equipment has been the subject of a community fundraising campaign for a number of weeks. The multimedia center and STEM lab at the 82,080-square-foot Frankfort Elementary prepare pupils for possible future interests in science and technology.