Southwest Junior High School celebrated its grand reopening Oct. 3 with a special ceremony and ribbon cutting.
Superintendent Dr. Jared Cleveland, Principal Dr. Curtis Gladden, School Board President Nick Emerson and freshman Alondra Gonzalez spoke at the event.
Establishing Southwest's new building was a three-year initiative and is one of many development projects resulting from an investment of about $200 million in the district, Cleveland said. Some $140 million stemmed from the most-recent partnership phase with the state, while the School Board helped invest some $60 million more toward district development.
Cleveland gave a call to action to attending students, who said the distrcit and its supporters have invested their time and talents to provide an environment to maximize their dreams.
"This is a place where our students can learn and grow together," he said.
Emerson, a former Southwest Cougar, told attending students they never know where life may take them, adding he hopes they make the most of the opportunity in front of them.
He encouraged students to work hard so they have no regrets when they look back on their time at the junior high school.
"This school is more than just walls and windows," he said. "It's a launchpad."
Gladden shared the school's history, which originally opened in 1967.
"For generations, this old building stood as more than just bricks and mortar; it was a place where countless students and teachers created a legacy of learning and Southwest pride," he said. "Today, we honor that legacy."
The new Southwest building includes 153,868 square feet of new space and remodeled area. The state-of-the-art facility was built by Baldwin & Shell Construction Company and was finished on January 1, 2025, for a cost of $46.7 million.
Additional recent district development projects include remodeling and growth projects at Har-Ber and Springdale high schools and Central Junior High School.
The grand opening was also attended by the entire student body, the district administrative team, the Springdale School Board, Springdale Mayor Doug Sprouse, members of the Springdale Chamber of Commerce, Rep. Robin Lundstrom, Arkansas Highway Commission Chairman Philip Taldo, Baldwin & Shell representatives and former school staff and alumni.
Southwest Junior High School serves 650 students in grades 8 and 9. Five schools feed into SWJHS: Elmdale, Walker and Westwood elementary schools, Tyson Elementary School of Innovation and Helen Tyson Middle School.
Gonzalez, a member of the school's cheer team, said stepping into the school for the first time felt like a promise that community felt they were worth investing in as students.
"We're not just passing through," she said. "It's part of our future