Bellefontaine showcases new school buildings (Audio included)

Sep 23, 2013 6:59 PM

Bill Tipple

Bellefontaine City Schools hosted an open house for the new elementary school and middle school Sunday afternoon.

A few hundred local residents toured the K-2 and 6-8 facilities located on Ludlow Road, adjacent to Blue Jacket Park.

The Ohio School Facilities Commission paid for 61 percent of the 35.9 million dollar project, or about 21.35 million dollars.

Local taxpayers paid the remaining 14 million dollars.

The project became a reality when voters approved a bond issue in November 2009.

Ground was broken in June 2011.

Ferguson Construction was the general contractor, Gilbane was the construction manager, and Freytag and Associates were the architects.

The buildings were originally planned to be completed by December 2012. Because of difficulties in construction, the buildings did not open until early August.

Each building can serve about 600 students.

Both buildings offer large windows, which allow natural light into several classrooms.

The buildings offer several technology upgrades, too.

Listen to Superintendent Beth Harman look back on the open house and tout the new buildings.

Bellefontaine went from having four elementary schools to just one.

Northeastern Elementary is now home to The ROC (Reality Outreach Church). Southeastern Elementary was transformed to Union Station, a nonprofit community center. Western has been transformed to Mac-A-Cheek Learning Center. Pine Avenue was torn down earlier this summer.

The former Bellefontaine Middle School is now the intermediate school, which serves third, fourth, and fifth-graders.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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