Gretna is a town where education and population continuously evolve. To keep up with the demand requires greater advancements, therefore, the addition of another middle school for the 2025-26 school year is essential.

Currently, Gretna Public Schools includes eight elementary schools, two middle schools and two high schools. Last spring, interviews occurred regarding who would become the first principal at the new, unnamed, middle school. After the interviews, the district concluded that Riley Gross would be the perfect fit as a principal, along with Scott Morris serving as the assistant principal and activities coordinator. The new middle school is located near 192nd and Giles.

“I’m excited for it, it’s a unique opportunity,” Gross said. “Not many people get an opportunity to open a brand new school, so, with that, it’s pretty exciting but also some challenges.”

Administrators felt that having a core team would make the transition between the middle schools smoother, especially for the principal. The core team currently consists of three teachers, along with Gross and Morris. The team now meets to focus on how they will create a strong school culture, enforce their main values and talk about important decisions that need to be made to help them be prepared for the upcoming school year.

The staffing for the new middle school will involve both new hires and transfers from current Gretna schools. In several distinctive areas – such as gym, health, music and foreign languages– staff will need to be hired since specialists are needed in each of those classrooms at all three of the buildings.

“It is kind of fun to envision continuing some great things that are happening at both middle schools, Gretna Middle School and Aspen Creek,” Morris said. “(Then) continuing those traditions at the new middle school, but also kind of finding our own unique culture as well.”

There will be a few differences among the middle schools, but one thing that will be the same throughout is that they will all have two administrators on their staff. ACMS will continue to be led by Stacey Deterding-Graver with Michael Kayl as the assistant principal, along with Matt Bruggeman being the principal at GMS and Megan Furstenau being that building’s assistant principal.

The new school’s floor plan is similar to ACMS with a few modifications. The school is being built by MCL Construction, the same company that built Gretna East High School.

“The goals for the first year, first off, are to establish a strong culture, ensuring that all of our staff knows Gretna’s mission statement and what we are about as a district,” Gross said. “And also between the three middle schools, just establishing consistency so that (its) similar to when they open an elementary school throughout the district that all three middle schools, all the students of Gretna are receiving the same high-quality education.”

There are many positives to opening a new school, but one key advantage is that there will be an increase in opportunities for students to get involved in either school sports or activities. Last year, Morris said that at GMS 90 boys tried out for basketball. Over half of them were cut due to there not being enough space on the activity roster. The new school will allow more students to be able to participate in things they could not in the past.

“Every day, it is exciting to work with new kids and getting to know the kids. So that’s the most exciting part of the job, the kids and the staff,” Morris said. “And just kind of like I said, establishing the culture and the routines and the rhythms of that new school.”