Monday, October 25, 1999
Schools under construction
Upgrades, expansions abound
BY ANDREA TORTORA
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Construction equipment is becoming a familiar site at Northern Kentucky school campuses as schools grapple with growing suburban populations by expanding or upgrading facilities.
A new elementary school is rising in Hebron and before school lets out for the summer, work will begin on a new junior high building in Fort Thomas.
Classroom additions are in the works or were recently completed for several schools. And renovations of science labs and older facilities are ongoing.
Many of the projects borrow concepts from neighboring schools.
“We got a lot of good ideas from what's been done at other schools,” Bellevue Superintendent Ora Cobb said. “Visits to see what those schools have done gave us some good perspective.”
Bellevue is remodeling its high school inside and out. The exterior brick and mortar were cleaned and repaired, and inside lockers were painted. The old wood shop will be transformed into a high-tech industrial classroom, and science labs will be equipped with the latest equipment.
The work, being completed in three phases, will cost a total of $1.9 million.
More projects
Other projects:
• Beechwood Schools will add a $2.3 million wing of science classrooms and labs to the high school. The three-story structure will include four sci ence classrooms and two science labs.
• Boone County Schools' North Pointe Elementary in Hebron will house 700 students. The newest school will look like Erpenbeck Elementary, which opened in August 1998 in Florence.
The Hebron school, being constructed near a planned 1,200-home subdivision, will help hold the growing elementary population. Cost: $7.9 million.
• Dayton Schools just completed a $247,000 upgrade to its football facility and is in the middle of a $1.9 million renovation to the elementary school. That work includes the creation of classroom space for a preschool program that used to be housed off-site.
A $98,000 roof will be placed on the older portion of the elementary school.
Digging started Thursday for a new weight room at Dayton High. The $172,000 addi tion will be attached to the gym.
“Some of these things needed to be done over a period of years, and we're in a position to do them now,” Superintendent Gary Rye said.
• Fort Thomas Schools hopes to start construction in March on a new, three-floor Highlands Middle School complete with parking garage. The building will house students in grades 6-8.
The school, scheduled to open in August 2001, would be arranged in team areas by subject for each grade level. Additional space would allow several classes in different subjects to meet together for collaborative projects, Superintendent Larry Stinson said.
The new school will take the space now occupied by a parking lot and district offices. A new parking lot is being created on Memorial Parkway, across the street from Highlands High School. District offices will move into a former bank building on Miller and North Fort Thomas Avenue.
The project cost is $13.9 million.
• Kenton County Schools are drawing up plans to add classroom space at Taylor Mill and Kenton elementary schools.
• Walton Verona Schools are planning a $1.4 million classroom and gymnasium addition to Walton-Verona Elementary School.
Finished projects
Projects completed this year include:
• Campbell Schools finished a $3.1 million classroom addition for 500 students at the high school this fall.
• Erlanger-Elsmere Schools are putting the finishing touches on an 18-classroom, $6 million addition to Tichenor Middle School.
• Ludlow Schools completed a $1.5 million middle school addition this August.
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