By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

The new eight-classroom addition on the east side of Hays Middle School is nearly completed.

According to Hays USD 489 Superintendent Dean Katt, a ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for Aug. 7 at 10 a.m.:

The Hays school district received a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help pay for the project. It is built to FEMA specifications and also will serve as a storm shelter for students and staff.

There were nearly 600  sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders attending Hays Middle School last year. Enrollment projections call for up to 800 HMS students by the 2015-16 school year.