September 28, 2025
By MEALAND RAGLAND-HUDGINS
Rutherford County Schools
Oakland High School welcomed the community to celebrate additions and renovations to the school campus Sunday afternoon.
Led by Principal John Marshall, Oakland added more than 100,000 square feet to its campus, connecting the main building and annex for enhanced security.
The $61 million project gave Oakland more than 20 new classrooms, a 740-seat auditorium and a BioSTEM lab, which provides students with a university-level, hands-on environment for biotechnology training. Spaces for the school's culinary arts, band and choir programs, among other areas, were also renovated as part of the two-year project.
“It happened because of vision, advocacy and a commitment,” Marshall said during the ceremony, adding that he will be “forever grateful” to the leaders who pushed for the project.
“This ribbon cutting is a celebration is for everyone who has ever been part of the Oakland family,” he added
Oakland High School opened in 1972 and has an approximate enrollment of 2,100 students for the 2025-2026 school year.