Zebulon — Students at Wakelon Elementary School heard last Monday night how they will start new traditions and build on the legacy of their school’s namesake.

Families, students, faculty and friends gathered at Wake County’s newest school for a ribbon cutting to officially open the two-story $22 million dollar building.

School has been in session there since August 27, but that didn’t stop the excitement as the fifth-grade chorus sang, balloons bobbed in the air and a crowd gathered to hear the speeches from principal Tammie Sexton, Wake County Schools Superintendent Del Burns and Wake County School Board member Lori Millberg.

“This facility will serve the community of Zebulon for years to come,” said Sexton. “It’s a historic milestone for Zebulon, for the faculty and for the students.”

She looked to the Wakelon School of yesteryear and said students already had a “wonderful legacy” to carry out. The old Wakelon School still stands on Arendell Avenue, though it hasn’t been used as a school for decades, and will soon be converted into a new town hall.

“Very few schools in Wake County have what you have,” said Burns. “You can start new traditions along with the Bulldog traditions of the original Wakelon School.”

“I’m just so happy for you,” said Millberg, who recalled the vote on funding, the early purchase of land and site plans, the long path leading to the fruition of a new school the crowd celebrated Monday night.

Emma Jean Pippin, a high school English teacher at the former Wakelon School and member of the Wakelon Class of 1941 remembered when her husband used to plow the very ground the new school stands on.

Today, in the place of Clifton Pippin’s farm field stands a 99,922-square-foot facility that has the capacity of serving 768 students. About 600 students are enrolled this year.

“We’re very excited and we love this new school,” said first-grade teacher Jerri Richards. “We’re growing every day. We’re getting lots more students.”

Peggy Wilder, who taught sixth grade at the Old Wakelon School, was headed to see the portrait of her first integrated class at the school, which after integration became Zebulon Elementary School, she said.

The old Wakelon School friends donated memorabilia to their namesake which is encased in a cabinet outside the media center.

Earlier, kindergarten student Colby Creech was one of about 20 students scurrying around amid the crowd of about 300, handing out programs. Shelby and Michael Meadows watched for their son, Keenan, who appeared front and center with the fifth graders before the concert.

The school is conveniently located for the family who live in nearby Wakefield Meadow, said Shelby Meadows.

The 34-acre property at Zebulon and Pippin Roads lies in the 300-acre Weaver’s Pond development. Through an interlocal agreement with Wake County, the town of Zebulon and the school system, the land will be used for the school and parks for the community. The county and the town contributed funding for recreational improvements not included in the standard elementary school program such as additional multipurpose fields, shelter, additional play areas and hard courts.

“It’s really nice,” said Mignelly Abreu whose daughter Mignelly, 10, attends. “I’ve come to eat with her at lunch and come to open house. There’s a lot of parent support.”

Amber Pitt, 10, had the support of her dad who took a tour of the school with her leading the way.

“It’s nice,” he told his daughter. “I wish I had a school like this when I was growing up.”

Mayor Bob Matheny summed up the sentiments of the hour.

“It’s beautiful, really nice,” he said. “I can’t imagine anybody telling you anything other than that.”