MONROE — Hours after Monroe voters approved a $29.9 million bond issue to build a single school for their community, the Monroe Board of Education bought the property the school will sit on.

        Wednesday, school officials completed the closing on the 186.7-acre Matson Farm at the northeast corner of Ohio 63 and Yankee Road and began the task of working out final details for the 210,000-square-foot school.

        The school will have separate entrances and eating areas for elementary and junior/senior high school students, three gymnasiums and a community library.

        During a meeting between Monroe City Council and the school board two weeks ago, both governing bodies agreed to form committees to explore ways the groups could share programming and development of the site.

        Mr. Elam said bid packages for the project could be ready by late February or March and site preparation work could begin next spring. Before that, there needs to be some agreement about development of athletic fields at the new site.

        At the same time, Mr. Elam said he and the board must begin looking at ways to house students until the new building opens in August 2004. An increase of 40 students this year at the elementary school has pushed the school to its limits, even with the four double-wide modular units, Mr. Elam said.

        “The elementary is very overcrowded and the high school isn't in great shape,” Mr. Elam said.

        He said he is looking at adding two more modular units to the elementary school. The modulars would give the district four extra classrooms, which could be needed as early as next August.

        Enrollment grew from 630 students last year to 670 this year and is expected to grow again by the 2002-03 school year.

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