MCSS breaks ground on Sparkman Intermediate School off McKee Road

HARVEST, Ala. (WHNT) — For the first time in ten years, the Madison County School System (MCSS) is celebrating the start of construction on a new school.

On Friday, MCSS officials broke ground on a new intermediate school off of McKee Road in Harvest. During the groundbreaking ceremony, MCSS announced that the school would be named Sparkman Intermediate School.

The school will serve students in 4th, 5th, and 6th grades. It will draw students from Madison Crossroads Elementary, Harvest Elementary, and Sparkman Middle School.

Madison County School System Superintendent, Ken Kubik, told News 19 that an intermediate school seemed like the best fit to ease overcrowding at nearby schools.

“It’s because of the fact that we’re overcrowded in those schools, and that’s what drove this decision to put it here,” Kubik said.

Superintendent Kubik said it’s exciting to be able to create more space for students and plan for future growth. He said the new school is a long time coming.

“We didn’t think we were going to be able to see a school built,” Kubik said. “We kept looking at how are we going to handle the growth out in the county? Are we going to have to keep using portable classrooms? Are we going to have to add wings? And when this opportunity presented itself and we were in the financial stability that we could go ahead and do this it was like what a phenomenal opportunity.”

📲 Get breaking news, traffic and weather alerts directly to your smartphone. Download the News 19 App

Sparkman Intermediate School will have 44 general classrooms, four designated special needs classrooms, an art room, a band room and two extended learning areas.

The new school will have a capacity of 1,200 students. School leaders anticipate it will have around 800 students when it opens.

Aside from a $2 million grant, Superintendent Ken Kubik said the funding is coming solely from MCSS.

“What’s really unique about this project is that we’re paying as we go,” he said. “It’s unheard of to pay for a school without going in debt.”

Construction is now underway at the site. MCSS leaders anticipate the new school will open in time for the start of the 2026/2027 school year.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHNT.com.