By Michael D. Clark
The Cincinnati Enquirer

History teachers (front to back) Meredith Loughran, John Slonim and Steve Reger move chairs and boxes into the new Indian Hill High School that opens April 6. The Cincinnati Enquirer/TONY JONES

INDIAN HILL - A mid-school-year move to a new building is rare, but with two shiny new schools sitting ready nearly three months ahead of schedule, Indian Hill school officials decided not to wait.

Nearly 1,000 Indian Hill high school and elementary students spent Friday, the last day before spring break, finishing their move into the new schools, a move that was not expected to be completed until June.

The two new schools on Drake Road together cost about $32 million.

Indian Hill Superintendent David Quattrone said the new buildings, both built adjacent to existing schools, are a huge change in the 2,300-student school system that only has four school buildings.

"This is the first totally new construction of school buildings since 1972. It's really exciting to see it all happen," said Quattrone.

The new high school and elementary both feature state-of-the-art classrooms, media centers and elaborate wiring to handle the growing role of technology and computers in school work.

Indian Hill High School Principal Terence Barton gazed down from the second-floor balcony overlooking the new media center.

"All this space is the big advantage from the educator's point of view," he said in reference to classroom space that will be up to 40 percent larger.

District officials will celebrate the new buildings April 24 by offering a community open house to tour the new buildings beginning at 1 p.m.,followed by formal ceremonies dedicating the schools.

Indian Hill sophomore Jon Spatz is happy to be moving into a new school now.

"It's still a little dusty now but it's really different. It's a lot bigger than the old high school and has a lot of nice touches like bigger lockers and carpet."

Senior John Krehbiel takes pride that he will be part of the first graduating class to come from the new building.

"And we get to be the last class to close down the old high school."

E-mail mclark@enquirer.com