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Volusia County school district breaks ground on elementary school with a historic connection

By Brittany Caldwell, WFTV.com

Volusia County school district breaks ground on elementary school with a historic connection The Turie T. Small Elementary School, which will open in Daytona Beach, was named for a pioneer who helped students succeed. (Volusia County Schools)

By Brittany Caldwell, WFTV.com

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Volusia County Schools broke ground on a new school this week.

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The Turie T. Small Elementary School, which will open in Daytona Beach, was named for a pioneer who helped students succeed.

According to Volusia County Schools, Small was the principal of South Street School and served 50 years in education.

In the 1930s through the 1960s, the area experienced several increases in student population, leading to other schools being built.

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VCS said the Daytona Colored School started in 1884 as a school for African American elementary students in Daytona Beach.

Campbell Elementary opened in 1934, and then South Street School and South Street Elementary opened in 1943 and 1953, respectively.

Superintendent Dr. Carmen Balgobin said the groundbreaking emphasized the stories and history of the community, just like the memories that teachers and students will make in the future.

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“Let’s continue to believe in our vision, our mission, and our goal every single day, which is to create a better future for our students,” she said.

The new school will be built on an empty lot near Campbell Middle School on Loomis Avenue.

Inside the building, students will see natural light and big open spaces.

Volusia County school district breaks ground on elementary school with a historic connection The Turie T. Small Elementary School, which will open in Daytona Beach, was named for a pioneer who helped students succeed. (Volusia County Schools)

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“The building may be new, but the vision for learning is the same,” Principal Joy Boyd-Walker said. “This is not just a groundbreaking for the building, but a new chapter of growth, success, and new opportunities that will provide a brighter future for our scholars.”

See a map of the school’s future location:

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