Cincinnati Public Schools officials gave future students of two west-side high schools a glimpse into the future Sunday.

        An open house showcased remodeled learning space in Western Hills High School's basement.

        There also were peeks into Dater High School's new college preparatory program in Western Hills' old vocational wing, behind the main school.

        The district's first major construction project since 1981 — when Roselawn Condon was built — begins, what district officials call, a “decade of Renaissance.”

        “This renovation was part of a total plan for the west side,” school board Vice President Harriet Russell said.

        “We intend to continue until we have renovated or replaced every school in the district.”

        A 2 p.m. ribbon-cutting officially opened what used to be industrial arts classrooms in the school's basement. Now, 16 classrooms fill the space, along with 300 new Mustang-purple lockers, and offices for two assistants and an assistant principal.

        Several hundred residents and past, current and future students streamed through the school's hallways during the two-hour viewing.

        The school board voted more than a year ago to begin this project, spending $4.5 million. Money was raised from the stadium sales tax, and projects have been completed on time and under budget, Ms. Russell said.

        Western Hills High School has 1,800 students; 300 students will benefit from the new space.

        Dater students will move from Dater Junior High to the new building Jan. 1.

        Principal Beverly Eby was surprised and happy Sunday to see the completed work.

        “I thought there was no way” this space would work, she said.

        Craig Holocher of Westwood brought his 11-year-old son, Kurt, and 8-year-old son, Kent, to see Dater's new home.

        Kurt, a sixth-grader at Sands Montessori in the West End, has passed entrance exams allowing him to choose among Cincinnati's college-preparatory schools. Sunday he toured Walnut Hills High School and Dater.

        Dater “seems like a nice school,” Kurt said. “It's hard to tell what it'll look like because construction is going on.”

        The Westwood residents like the idea of going to a school much closer to their home, but voiced some reservations.

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