It’s been an interesting year so far at Troy Buchanan High School in Lincoln County, Mo. Construction and weather issues delayed the opening of the district’s new ninth grade center when school began in August.

More than 500 freshmen, teachers and administrators spent the first two months of school at Troy Buchanan, using six mobile classroom buildings outside of the school and five classrooms inside.

On Monday, freshmen will board 11 buses at Troy Buchanan and enter their own building for orientation. Tuesday will be their first official school day in the ninth grade center.

“We basically created a school within a school in the beginning of the year,” Principal Chris Chaney said. “When we depart from the parking lot on Monday, we won’t be back.”

The district broke ground for the ninth grade center in 2007. From there, problems with limestone, a bad winter and a very wet March caused delays on the 90,000 square foot faciility.

The new building will help with the Troy School District’s continued population growth. Enrollment has almost doubled since 1990. By 2010, district officials predict the number of students will top 10,000.

Officials say the plan for the new building is to remain a ninth grade center for three years before becoming a second high school, easing overcrowding at Troy Buchanan, which will have about 1,500 students when the freshman leave on Monday.

The new school is about three miles south of Troy Buchanan on Elm Tree Road in Moscow Mills. An open house is planned for 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Nov. 23.