A New Chapter for Jesse Boyd: Building Legacy, Community, and Opportunity
Gratitude filled the air as District 7 leaders, families, students, teachers, and community members gathered under pale blue skies on the freshly-cleared site of our new Jesse Boyd Elementary on Webber Road. Shovels in hand, leaders joined together not just to turn the dirt, but to fulfill a dream of educational excellence for future generations. November 24, 2025 was a day full of promise as we broke ground on a long-awaited vision: a new Jesse Boyd Elementary School (JBE), which will house the district’s second Little Vikings Employee Childcare Center.
Board Chair Clay Mahaffey noted how fitting it was to mark this milestone during a season of gratitude. “This is a day of thanksgiving as we take an important step forward for education in Spartanburg,” he said. It was a reminder that the project wasn’t just about buildings, but about honoring community trust.
Superintendent Jeff Stevens echoed that sense of shared purpose.“Today is a proud and historic moment for District 7,” he said. “As our shovels turn this earth today, District 7 turns the page to an exciting new chapter. Thank you for believing in this vision and for helping bring it to life.” His words spoke to all who made this day possible – a community bound by the belief in what this new school could become: “This groundbreaking is your achievement. You are ensuring the next generation will learn and grow in a space designed for innovation, safety, and opportunity.”
Among our honored guests was Boyd Scott, grandson of the school’s namesake, and his wife Nancy. The couple traveled in from Columbia, carrying memories of the original school that opened in 1965. Their return this week felt poignant: a bridge between past and future. Former JBE principals Meredith Rose, Margaret Peach, and Bob Grant – leaders who helped shape Jesse Boyd’s history – joined as well, further weaving continuity into the promise of tomorrow.
For Principal Jonathan Duvall, the moment was deeply personal. He looked out at the gathering and said, “Our school is a jewel, and soon it will shine even brighter in a beautiful new home designed to support modern-day teaching and learning.” He spoke of the 60-year history built by families and educators, rooting the new building in a legacy of heart and commitment. “It’s the people who make a building feel like home, and that family spirit will move with us into our new home in 2027.”
PTO President Kinsey Blackwell, whose children are the third generation in their family to attend Jesse Boyd, and student body president Ben Hoyle shared their hopes for what’s to come. Project partners William Gray of McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture and David Wise of Harper General Contractors also stepped forward to explain the vision behind the interior and exterior renderings displaying thoughtful, forward-looking spaces where collaboration, creativity, and performance will flourish.
In a poetic touch, music teacher Racel Odom led the fifth-grade choir to debut the school’s new alma mater, a song created last year through a collaborative, school-wide process. As the voices of our students carried across the site, it set the stage for a future in which generations to come will sing, perform, and celebrate in a space made just for them.
When the time came to break ground, District 7’s Board of Trustees, Superintendent Stevens, district leaders, and members of the Jesse Boyd family ceremonially turned the soil in a gesture of unity, optimism, and shared purpose.
“Here’s to a school that will nurture minds, strengthen community, and inspire generations to come. Your love for District 7’s children and commitment to their education is abundantly clear,” said Superintendent Stevens.
Watch the celebration here:
Above: The scene of the groundbreaking on the freshly-cleared site at 300 Webber Road
Above: Members of the 5th grade JBE choir and Principal Jonathan Duvall
Above: Boyd and Nancy Scott (grandson of Jesse Boyd) with students in the 5th Grade JBE choir
Above: Student Body President Ben Hoyle leads the Pledge of Allegiance
Above: District 7 Trustees break ground
Above: District 7 leaders and project partners break ground
Happy Thanksgiving from District 7!
This year's district Thanksgiving greeting is brought to you by our friends at Jesse Boyd Elementary, who are especially thankful for their blessing of a new school this year! We hope you enjoy their message, below: