Beulah Ralph Elementary School opens in south Columbia

Educators and administrators will dedicate the newest Columbia elementary school Friday afternoon.

The $20 million project is the result of a voter-approved bond issue. Beulah Ralph Elementary School will have a capacity of about 600 to 650 students.

It is named after civil rights activist and community leader Beulah Ralph. who grew up in Columbia and worked at Douglass High School for 58 years until her retirement in 2005. She died in 2010.

The school features a gym, a media center and a cafeteria that education leaders hope can be accessible to the community.

The school is also energy-efficient and was constructed with long-lasting and durable materials.

There will be a dedication of the school at 2 p.m. Friday. Boy Scout Pack 60 will raise the flag and then the Children’s Grove will plant a tree outside the school.

The school is located off Highway KK in Columbia, near Scott Boulevard.