MONROE — This booming community's newest school finally took shape Monday evening after months of public discussion and proposals about its design.

        The Monroe Board of Education voted 5-0 to approve design plans for a $29.6 million, kindergarten-through-12th-grade campus.

        The vote was a relief to some Monroe school parents who were worried that earlier designs would have put elementary pupils in too close proximity to high school students.

        “This is the best plan of the three plans,” said Monroe parent Betty Lawson. “The kids are going to be separated.”

        Known as Plan 3, the proposal gained support during a recent community meeting, and approval from a steering committee.

        School officials and community members have been reviewing several plans for a single building since November, when voters approved a $29.9 million bond issue that would pay for it.

        Plan 3 calls for a 240,000-square-foot building with a core area in the middle that houses two cafeterias; a single kitchen; offices; a media center with separate areas for the community, elementary students and junior/senior students; two gymnasiums and an auditorium.

        Former Monroe-Middletown Principal Peggy McClusky favored Plan 3, saying “I like the separation” of age groups.

        Elementary and junior high students are “in a very impressionable age,” Ms. McClusky said, adding that she liked the board's plan “for more reasons than just the physical safety of younger students.”

        The district, formed two years ago after residents voted to split from Middletown schools, has 1,468 students. The school is scheduled to open in August 2004 on the 186.7-acre Matson farm at the northeast corner of Ohio 63 and Yankee Road. It was designed to be expanded if needed.

        Architects will now complete the site plan drawings for bidding. Work on site preparation could begin as early as May and construction could begin in late August.

        • In other school board action, members voted 3-2, with Jamie Pierce and Carol Brotherton opposing, to expand the Monroe district's open enrollment policy for next school year to include grades seven and eight.

        Board member William Heflin said he favored the new policy because “it has tremendous benefit in lowering class size.”

        District officials hope the new policy will attract more students, allowing for creation of more courses and hiring of more teachers, which overall would lower student-teacher ratios in crowded classes.

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