STUART, Fla. — Murray Middle School has broken ground on a $33 million phase of its campus rebuild after Hurricane Milton spawned a tornado that damaged three main buildings, forcing students and school programs into portable classrooms, according to Martin County school officials.
District leaders said improvements to Murray Middle School were already planned, but the hurricane damage added urgency to the project. The new construction will include learning and performing arts spaces, while the school's gym will also be renovated.
WATCH: Murray Middle is rebuilding after Hurricane Milton.
Students and staff gathered for a groundbreaking marking the next step in a rebuilding process that has required them to adapt while parts of their campus remain unavailable.
Students adapt after hurricane damage
For Murray Middle student Nicholas Lowe, the transition meant adjusting to a different learning environment.
"It was a big change, but also I had to adapt to it to, like, be better for the choir," Lowe said.
Choir was among the programs that lost permanent space following Hurricane Milton.
Dr. Anita Caswell, Murray Middle School's choir and drama director, said the storm destroyed decades of materials used by her programs.
"It was 60 years of drama props," Caswell said. "Our dresses were in that, the boys' vest that we used to sing in, and just to see it all mangled and stuck up on the wall, it just hurt."
Despite losing their old space, Caswell said her students continued singing in a portable classroom.
"Is it the best place to sing in? No, but we adapt," Caswell said, adding that the choir received straight superior ratings that year "even in the small portable."
Hurricane Milton brings new urgency to project
Martin County Superintendent Michael Maine said the district had plans to improve Murray Middle before Hurricane Milton, but damage from the storm changed the situation.
"When Hurricane Milton came through and spawned the tornado, it took down three of our main buildings that we rely on every single day," Maine said. "We couldn't have our students displaced in portables any longer than we needed to."
About $33 million has been approved for the second phase of the project, according to school officials.
The work includes new learning spaces, a performing arts wing and renovations to the gym.
New performing arts and learning spaces planned
Murray Middle School Principal Tiffany Roth said the project will give students several new and upgraded spaces.
"Your state-of-the-art media center will be there ... an art room and the agriculture room," Roth said. "There will be a ... performing arts wing, where you'll have your band and your choir rooms."
The gym is expected to be completed by August 2027, according to the timeline provided by school officials. The new buildings are expected to be finished by December 2027.
For students who have spent part of their middle school experience adapting to portable classrooms and temporary spaces, Roth said she wants the finished campus to bring a renewed sense of pride.
"I hope that they feel that ... and they're proud to say that they're Murray Lions and get to enjoy these new buildings," Roth said.
For Murray Middle's students and teachers, the groundbreaking represents another step toward moving beyond the damage Hurricane Milton left behind and into permanent classrooms and program spaces once again.
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