Magnolia Speech now open in Madison
MADISON — Magnolia Speech School is now officially open here following a ribbon cutting last week.
The school, located at 414 Bozeman Road, opened to the public in August at the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year. The city of Madison made the location official and local civic leaders took a tour of the state-of-the-art facility.
Executive Director Valerie Linn said the first half of the school year has been great and everyone involved feels embraced and accepted by the Madison community.
“Families who came here from our old building in Jackson are particularly amazed at the difference,” Linn said. “Many parents have said their kids are so happy this year and we’ve always had a great relationship with children and our teachers. The facility itself has made it easier for students to learn. The first nine weeks we spent troubleshooting like any new building and while the children were doing great there were some kinks we had to work out.”
City and state officials were present at the ribbon cutting on Dec. 14, including Speaker Pro Tem Jason White, Sen. Walter Michael, Rep. Jill Ford, Madison Mayor Mary Hawkins-Butler, Jan Collins with the Madison County Business League Foundation, numerous Magnolia Speech School Board members, and parents, donors and supporters of the school.
Before moving to Madison, Magnolia Speech School was located on North Flag Chapel Road in Jackson, which had been the school’s home for 50 years.
“The school is built so well for children with specific communicative disorders,” Linn said. “It’s beautiful, colorful and bright, but it’s also a facility that meets their needs like no other place could. Everyone in Madison has been so welcoming. They want to be a part of the childrens’ experiences here and that means so much. The school participated in the Gluckstadt Christmas parade and we feel like we’ve been embraced by the community. Folks want to help each other and overall it's beautiful.”
Amy Cummins, director of economic development in Madison, was present at the ribbon cutting and said touring the school showed her the design of the facility revolves around the students there.
“Everything in that new building revolves around the children that attend the school,” Cummins said. “They took care of every little detail to revolve around how the children are taken care of and how they learn, and thrive when they leave to go to public schools. It’s a beautiful facility and we are blessed to have that in Madison County.”
Magnolia Speech School believes speech and oral language are every child’s birthright and can frequently be overcome. They strive to bring hope to children by helping them speak, learn, sing, play music, and go to school.
According to their website, the school creates a community for language and hearing-challenged children and their families, where they are empowered socially, emotionally and intellectually to reach their full potential through listening and spoken language.
Linn said the spring 2023 semester will go great and even better than the fall semester.
“We’ve noticed such significant progress in our classes and it’s only going to get better,” Linn said. “We’re looking forward to spring. This school will be here long after most of us are gone and it feels like a legacy gift to this community and our state. We’re privileged to be part of Magnolia Speech School and here in Madison.”
For more information about Magnolia Speech School, visit their website at www.magnoliaspeechschool.org.