50 Years Ago

Sunday, April 25, 1971

GE gives land for new city school

General Manager Russ Morris of the Medium Transformer Department announced Saturday that the General Electric Company has donated 20 acres of land to the City of Rome as the site for a new elementary school.

Morris said that the tract of land is located in the southeast corner of the Medium Transformer Department’s property in West Rome and lies along Lavender Drive from the Rome Frozen Foods Company.

“Rome schools and the school leadership supporting them have made impressive progress through improved facilities and higher standards in the past decade,” Morris said, “and General Electric is proud to be a part of this continuing community improvement.”

Accepting the deed to the property, W.B. Primm, chairman of the Rome Board of Education, stated, “It is with great pleasure that I express, on behalf of the

Rome school system and all of the citizens of Rome, our deep appreciation to

Mr. Morris and the General Electric Company for the gift of this 20-acre tract of land on Lavender Drive on which a new school will soon be constructed.”

Primm pointed out that the new elementary school on Lavender Drive will be the third and last to be built under a long-range plan developed three years ago. The long-range plan called for two large elementary schools in each section of town. This new school will replace the Fourth Ward and the Elm Street schools.

Primm said that architect Bobby Toles has already completed plans for the new school and that the plans are ready for submission to the State School Building Authority. Cost of the new school will be approximately $750,000, according to Primm, with occupancy expected by September 1972.