Fayette schools’ first new middle school in 21 years opens Wednesday. See inside
On Wednesday, a new middle school will open in Fayette County Public Schools for the first time in 21 years.
The $82 plus million, 185,000-square-foot school on Polo Club Boulevard in eastern Lexington will have 550 students this fall in grades 6-8.
Ultimately, as many as 1,200 students will attend the school, principal Dave Hoskins told the Herald-Leader Monday as he pointed out features ranging from a Baptist Health-sponsored medical sciences lab to an agriscience chicken coop.
Some programming at the school is aimed at starting to get kids ready for the workforce even before they enter high school.
“At Mary E. Britton Middle School, our first year will be about building a strong foundation for learning, belonging and pride,” Hoskins said. “Families can expect a safe, supportive environment where every student is known, challenged and celebrated.”
He added: “Anyone that comes in is just blown away by the physical space.”
Hoskins was the former principal of Edythe J. Hayes Middle School, which was the most recent middle school built in the district before Britton. It opened in 2004.
On Monday night, students attended an Open House.
“I’m excited to go here because it seems like a really good school,” said Evalyn Bridenbaker, 12, who will be in the seventh grade when school starts Wednesday.
“It is amazing. Everything is just so modern. We’re excited for her. She homeschooled last year. Coming to a brand new school is going to be super exciting,” said Evalyn’s mother, Anna Maria Bridenbaker.
“From our health and medical sciences program to ... high school credit courses for everyone, opportunities for civic engagement, and a rich variety of extracurricular activities, we are committed to preparing students for success in high school and beyond,” Hoskins said.
There are 60 state-certified employees, such as teachers, and 25 classified employees that include aides, food service workers, and custodians.
The school district’s largest middle school, Britton is situated on the grounds of the former Hamburg Farms.
The facility is designed with expansive spaces for students and staff to gather, a state-of-the-art agricultural science lab -- with a chicken coop outdoors where they can learn skills--and specialized areas for visual and digital arts. Kids will learn how to edit videos and podcasts.
The new school has been intentional about drawing in community partners, whose names are showcased throughout the building
Baptist Health is helping with a class called Introduction to Health Professions, which along with information on training for physicians and nurses, covers health care administration, billing and coding, radiology, and any job related to the medical field.
Baptist Health, with a commitment of $25,000, purchased the naming rights to a classroom lab.
Another community partner, Benchmark Mortgage, is offering free financial planning classes to the school staff and students’ families throughout the year.
“Part of our goal here is...workforce development, jobs and job development,” Hoskins said.
In addition to health sciences and agricultural science, there are plans for business marketing, financial literacy, business development courses and robotics.
The school has four main visions:
Expose students to health and medical sciences; for every student to leave the school with at least one high school credit; instill civic engagement so students will ask what they can do for Lexington; and foster a sense of belonging to the school.
There are likenesses of the new school’s mascot, the Bears, throughout the building.
The media center, or library, is not just a place for books, said Hoskins, but more of a place to meet, collaborate and create. It includes a broadcast studio.
The building is described as one of the most energy-efficient facilities in the state.
“It’s gorgeous. It’s wonderful,” teacher Donald Dean said Monday as he was preparing his classroom for the new academic year. “The building contributes a lot. But its really the people and the team I’m working with.”
There’s an unconventional furniture design, not traditional hard-edged tables and chairs. In every classroom, there’s “flexible” seating for students who might have sensory issues.
There are several spaces in the building where teachers can combine their classes and share their strengths, assistant principal Ro Koop said.
The cafeteria doubles as an auditorium and includes a stage.
Offices for an administrator and a guidance counselor are located among students and classrooms at each grade level instead of in the front office.
As Hoskins worked on programming for the new school, he said he thought, “What can we do to honor Mary E. Britton and still be relevant to our kids?”
Who was Mary E. Britton?
Mary Ellen Britton (1855–1925) was an American physician, educator, suffragist, journalist and civil rights activist from Lexington, the district website said.
She was an original member of the Kentucky Negro Education Association, which formed in 1877, the website said. She was president of the Lexington Woman’s Improvement Club and later served as a charter member of the Ladies Orphan Society which founded the Colored Orphan Industrial Home in Lexington, in 1892.
After teaching in Lexington public schools, she worked as a physician from her home in Lexington. She specialized in hydrotherapy, electrotherapy and massage; and, she was officially granted her license to practice medicine in Lexington in 1902, making her the first woman doctor to be licensed in Lexington.
“Just as Dr. Britton broke barriers and served her community, we will inspire our Bears to lead with purpose, strive for excellence, and contribute meaningfully to the world around them,” Hoskins said.
This story was originally published August 12, 2025 at 7:44 AM.