- Community members, Roane County Board of Education members, students and others walk into the new Spencer Middle School for an open house Wednesday afternoon. (Photo by Michelle Dillon)
- Roane County students, from left, Rhylee Burdette, Abigail Bowman, Charlee Schoolcraft, Bynlea Greathouse and Adyson Spencer pet Friends With Paws therapy dog Flora at an open house Wednesday afternoon at the new Spencer Middle School. Flora will serve at Spencer Middle School as an outlet for students to address trauma and other social-emotional issues. (Photo by Michelle Dillon)
- West Virginia First Lady Cathy Justice speaks during a pup rally Wednesday to introduce the 34th Friends With Paws therapy dog, Flora, who will be placed at the new Spencer Middle School. (Photo by Michelle Dillon)
- From left, Roane County Schools Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instructional Support Michelle Stellato, Roane County Board of Education President Jeff Mace, West Virginia First Lady Cathy Justice, Roane County Schools Superintendent Richard Duncan, West Virginia School Building Authority Executive Director Andy Neptune and others participate in a ribbon cutting of the new Spencer Middle School Wednesday. (Photo by Michelle Dillon)
- Pictured is a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) classroom in the new $20 million Spencer Middle School, which will open Aug. 21 for students to attend. (Photo by Michelle Dillon)
- Students, community members, Spencer Middle School teachers and staff, Roane County Schools Board of Education members and others walk a hallway in the new $20 million Spencer Middle School during a community open house Wednesday. (Photo by Michelle Dillon)
- A group of community members, students and others sit in the cafeteria, which also has a stage, in the new $20 million Spencer Middle School during a community open house Wednesday. (Photo by Michelle Dillon)
- Pictured is the gym at the new $20 million Spencer Middle School, which students will start attending Aug. 21. (Photo by Michelle Dillon)

Community members, Roane County Board of Education members, students and others walk into the new Spencer Middle School for an open house Wednesday afternoon. (Photo by Michelle Dillon)
SPENCER — Roane County Schools showed off a new middle school Tuesday and introduced a new therapy dog Wednesday.
A ribbon cutting ceremony and community open house were held for the new $20 million Spencer Middle School Wednesday, along with a “pup rally” to celebrate the new school and introduce Friends With Paws therapy dog Flora, a golden retriever, who will be located at the new school.
The new school is located at 2 Raider Way, on the same campus as Roane County High School, and cost approximately $20 million to build, with $18 million of the funding coming from a West Virginia School Building Authority (SBA) grant and over $2.5 million coming from the Roane County Board of Education, according to a Roane County Schools media release.
The “pup rally” was held in the cafeteria/auditorium space for the new school, where Spencer Middle School Principal Annette Claypool was the first to speak.
“What a humbling experience this is for me to stand in front of this crowd and mark this momentous occasion … Today is a day of celebration for our school, our staff, our students and our community to honor our history while glimpsing at the future,” Claypool said.

Roane County students, from left, Rhylee Burdette, Abigail Bowman, Charlee Schoolcraft, Bynlea Greathouse and Adyson Spencer pet Friends With Paws therapy dog Flora at an open house Wednesday afternoon at the new Spencer Middle School. Flora will serve at Spencer Middle School as an outlet for students to address trauma and other social-emotional issues. (Photo by Michelle Dillon)
The pledge of allegiance was then led by members of Boy Scout Troop 437 and the national anthem was played by the Roane County High School Marching Band.
Roane County Schools Superintendent Richard Duncan spoke next and thanked everyone who was involved in the building of the new school, including the SBA, Thrasher Group who provided architectural and engineering services, City Construction who built the school, politicians, the Roane County Economic Development Authority, the Roane County Board of Education and many others.
“We are humbled and proud to be here today to celebrate this wonderful new school facility,” Duncan said.
He said it was a labor of love to get everyone to the point they are today.
“This is a beautiful, beautiful building,” he said.

West Virginia First Lady Cathy Justice speaks during a pup rally Wednesday to introduce the 34th Friends With Paws therapy dog, Flora, who will be placed at the new Spencer Middle School. (Photo by Michelle Dillon)
Then Roane County Board of Education President Jeff Mace spoke.
“Spencer and Roane County, welcome to your new school,” he said.
According to Mace, it has been a little more than 30 years since the district has had a new school to celebrate and this is the first time there has been a new middle school in the district since about the 1940s. He said the school board has been working on the new middle school in some fashion for 10 years.
“It is a major accomplishment,” Mace said of the school.
He also thanked the community for its help with the school by passing the bond to build it in 2018.

From left, Roane County Schools Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instructional Support Michelle Stellato, Roane County Board of Education President Jeff Mace, West Virginia First Lady Cathy Justice, Roane County Schools Superintendent Richard Duncan, West Virginia School Building Authority Executive Director Andy Neptune and others participate in a ribbon cutting of the new Spencer Middle School Wednesday. (Photo by Michelle Dillon)
Then Duncan spoke again, talking about Roane County Schools and the Communities in School (CIS) program.
According to Duncan, Roane County Schools joined the Communities in Schools (CIS) program last year and this year they were given the opportunity to join the Friends With Paws Program that West Virginia Governor Jim Justice and his wife Cathy Justice have played a key part in encouraging CIS’s programs and expanding it across the state.
Each therapy dog in Friends With Paws is specially trained to respond to trauma while providing comfort, support and love to students, according to CIS’s website.
The therapy dogs are placed in CIS program schools where students are disproportionately affected by poverty, substance misuse, or other at-risk situations and are in the greatest need of a support animal. They serve as a healthy and friendly outlet for these students to address trauma and other social-emotional issues, according to a West Virginia Office of the First Lady media advisory.
Duncan introduced West Virginia First Lady Cathy Justice.

Pictured is a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) classroom in the new $20 million Spencer Middle School, which will open Aug. 21 for students to attend. (Photo by Michelle Dillon)
“It’s a real treat to come and see this new school,” Justice said. “This is wonderful.”
She said when children walk into the new school they will know they can do anything they want in life because they now have the opportunity and help.
“I want you to be proud of who you are.” Justice said. “I want every student in the state of West Virginia to be proud and know that they can say ‘I’m from West Virginia’ and be proud of it. So you can do that now.”
She said the Friends With Paws program was created because the Justices are a dog family and as a way to deal with how hard it was for children to get back in school after the pandemic.
“We have a golden retriever here today that’s going to be a part of the faculty here at school and so she is just a fun little dog,” Justice said.

Students, community members, Spencer Middle School teachers and staff, Roane County Schools Board of Education members and others walk a hallway in the new $20 million Spencer Middle School during a community open house Wednesday. (Photo by Michelle Dillon)
She said the dog’s name is Flora and she is the 33rd dog placed in the program.
Justice said Flora will meet Spencer Middle School students at the door and will be there every day to help encourage attendance, help students that have trouble reading, have behavior problems and more.
Justice played a video about Friends With Paws narrated by Baby Dog, her and Gov. Justice’s English bulldog, then handler Jil Mezellen brought Flora out to introduce her to the crowd.
“You are going to love Flora, “ Mezellen said. “Every dog, as you know, is different and they have strengths. Her strength is that she loves to snuggle. She brings a very calming effect to so many people.”
Mezellen showed off Flora’s grasp of certain commands, having her snuggle with Justice, sit when told and not move until she was told to do so. This elicited laughter from the crowd as Flora went straight to different audience members for petting as soon as she was told she could move.
After Flora’s introduction, there was a ribbon cutting outside for the new school and then the community, students and others in attendance were free to tour the first floor of the school at their own pace. The second floor was off limits because according to Duncan materials are still being moved on to the floor.
Refreshments provided by Thrasher group were served in the new cafeteria/auditorium space.
People who toured the school saw a range of things, including a STEAM classroom, a maker space, band and choir classrooms and practice rooms, a gym, a concessions area, a science classroom and lab, a clinic, a faculty planning room and more.
Sarah Helbig came to the “pup rally” and community open house with her son Archer Helbig, who is entering the sixth grade this school year.
Archer Helbig said he had seen some of the first floor and he thinks “it’s pretty cool.”
He said he liked Flora best of the things he had seen at the new school.
Sarah Helbig said she thinks the new school is very nice.
“Our kids haven’t had a new facility in many many years, so we’re very excited for this new adventure for them,” she said. “It’s wonderful.”
She also said that she thinks the therapy dog is great.
Community members that did not get a chance to come to the community open house Wednesday will have a chance tonight to see the new school after the school board meeting, according to Duncan.
Students will attend the new Spencer Middle School starting Aug. 21, which is the first day of school for Roane County Schools.
Michelle Dillon can be reached at mdillon@newsandsentinel.com

A group of community members, students and others sit in the cafeteria, which also has a stage, in the new $20 million Spencer Middle School during a community open house Wednesday. (Photo by Michelle Dillon)

Pictured is the gym at the new $20 million Spencer Middle School, which students will start attending Aug. 21. (Photo by Michelle Dillon)