It'll be the first time in a new school for a few hundred Columbia County middle-schoolers.

NBC Augusta was there as Stallings Island Middle officially opened its doors.

There was plenty of pomp and circumstance to open the new $20 million school.

But it's not all glamour for teachers like David Cato scrambling to get ready.

"It's great to be the first in the room, on the first faculty," Cato said. He said there's some pressure in being first, but it has its rewards.

"You want to help establish a climate here," he said. "Someday people will look back and say those teachers got us off to a good start."

"When they come on Monday morning, we're ready," said Principal Don Putnam. He says his faculty and staff have put in a lot of work to get to this point.

"This has been a day we've waited for for a long time," he said.

And while there's still a few finishing touches left, Cato says Stallings Island is ready -- down to that new school smell.

"Everything is so bright and fresh and clean," he said.

Classes start Monday, but the school's doors are already open .

Principal Putnam says he wants everyone in the community to come check out the new school during open houses this week.