The Saginaw (Michigan) district has welcomed students to a high school campus that is replacing two existing high schools.
The Saginaw News reports that Saginaw United High School is a five-story, 212,000-square-foot building that will have about 1,100 students in its inaugural year.
The two schools that were closed to make way for Saginaw United High — Arthur Hill High and Saginaw High schools — enrolled 671 and 427 students, respectively, in the 2023-24 academic year.
Inside the facility, security officers scanned students with metal detectors and checked their backpacks before letting them pass, setting them free to find their place within the new hallways.
Despite a wait that left some outside their classes for more than an hour, the mood largely seemed joyful. The last student passed through the metal detectors at 8:49 a.m.
Some elements of the new campus remain in the design or construction stage. School officials said they hope the athletics facilities will host its first sports contests next academic year.
Crews also are building a walkway that will connect the tower to a neighboring gymnasium that previously served students at Saginaw Arts and Sciences Academy.
