SILVERHILL — Baldwin County Public Schools (BCPS) officially has a new site as the new Silverhill Elementary building had its ribbon cutting ceremony Feb. 5 after in-person school officially started earlier that week.

Despite the snowy delay earlier this year, elementary students and teachers were able to successfully transition into their new building halfway through the academic year. BCPS Superintendent Eddie Tyler said he “didn’t want a $30 million school sitting here until this summer.”

Tyler said with “so much going on in Baldwin County” he enjoys being able to “celebrate” moments like the ribbon cutting.

"Anytime we open up a new school, I'm so proud and amazed," Tyler said.

Tyler thanked the Baldwin County Board of Education along with Silverhill Elementary's teachers and other leaders of the school, as they are "what makes it happen."

He said “we can’t stop building” because Baldwin County has a steadily growing population, as Tyler said people are attracted to “the quality of life” and “great education” that’s constantly receiving improvements making the area a “great place to raise a family.”

Tyler also mentioned how the new Silverhill Elementary School building improves the numbers that reflect the school’s “story.”

“Since 2015, we have completed 11 brand new schools and 20 expansion projects,” Tyler said, “equaling over 2.2 million square foot of instructional space at a cost of over $600 million all with zero new taxes for the citizens of Baldwin County.”

Before 2015, a new school hasn’t been built since 2009.

Silverhill School opened in 1898, as previously reported by Gulf Coast Media. The original school operated out of a barn before the first public school building was constructed by the state in 1928-29. In 1955 a fire destroyed several classrooms so new classrooms were added in 1956, which is the year most attendees at the ribbon cutting coined as the inaugural year of the old building’s creation.

The previous GCM article goes on to read that a new cafeteria was built in 1958, and additions were made in 1963, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1986, 1988 and 1998.

The new building is 137,361 square feet, located on 73.64 acres and cost a total of $29,665,714. The school’s architect was Todd Stewart through Adams Stewart Architects, and the project manager was Jason Shipp. The contractor for the school was Bayshore Construction Company, the engineering was done by Sawgrass Engineering Construction Management, and site work was done by Triptek Construction.

Features of the new school include storm shelters in classroom wings, 56 classrooms, two Pre-K classrooms, two STEM classrooms, six special needs classrooms, two Pathway classrooms, a cafetorium with seating for 480 and a stage, a gymnasium with seating for 580, a chorus room, a band room, a media center with collaborative seating, security cameras for the entire campus and covered car and bus pick-up/drop-off areas.

As previously reported by GCM, the new school has been built to accommodate up to 1,400 students. In another GCM article on Baldwin County growth last year, Silverhill is rapidly approaching city status with 1,923 residents according to the U.S. Census Bureau in 2023.

Lee Johnson, executive vice president of Baldwin County Economic Development Alliance, was quoted in the article saying, “Silverhill is one of our fastest-growing municipalities, largely due to location and the small-town feel. We expect that trend to carry forward in the coming years as Central Baldwin grows.”

Alabama State Board of Education District 1 representative Jackie Zeigler was in attendance because “it’s always an exciting time” when there’s a ribbon cutting for a new building, new additions or renovations.

“Baldwin County’s always been very generous about including me in things, and I get a lot of invitations,” Zeigler said, “and I try to come when I can because it’s important for the community to realize that, you know, that we have a good bond, that we have a working relationship and that we are as excited as they are with all these brand new buildings and innovations and doing the right thing for kids.”

As one of the nine counties Zeigler is over, she said Baldwin County is “excellent about keeping their eye on the goal,” which she described as creating “what’s best for kids” in new and innovative ways. She learned at the ribbon cutting ceremony that the original Silverhill school was “one of the first three” schools built in the county.

“It’s a very generational, stable community,” Zeigler said on Silverhill, “and so I know they’ve been behind this school from day one even when it was a first of three in Baldwin County."

Tyler compared the new building to getting “a new car” as it is still the same school just with a new look and model. Silverhill Elementary School’s principal, Wendy Rodgers, and Silverhill Mayor Jared Lyles both said the new school building has been “a long time coming.”

“There has been a Silverhill School since 1898,” Rodgers said, “so we are so fortunate to be a part of this community who goes above and beyond to support our students, our school and our staff.”

Lyles said it was a “great day for the town” and he was thankful to Rodgers, “all the teachers,” the Baldwin County Board of Education and the county commission for getting everything ready for “when the kids showed up Monday morning.”

“It’s a team effort from everyone in Baldwin County and Silverhill,” Lyles said, “and I appreciate everybody that had anything to do with this and our kids appreciate it as well.”