By Sheila McLaughlin
Enquirer staff writer

MADEIRA - Let the building begin! Soon, anyway.

The school district's plans to replace two schools and expand another have passed muster with officials of this Hamilton County city, except for a few details.

The Madeira Planning Commission this week approved the needed zoning for an expansion at Madeira High School, after granting permission recently for new schools at Dumont Elementary and Sellman Middle School.

A pending issue is driveway access for the two new schools, City Manager Tom Moeller said. The planning commission is expected to consider that in a Sept. 20 meeting.

Madeira voters approved a bond issue in March to raise $28 million for the projects after school officials said the buildings, constructed since 1937, were too small and inefficient for the district's 1,500 students.

Construction means students at Sellman and Dumont have been shifted to other buildings while their schools are replaced by August 2006.

Demolition at Sellman on Miami Avenue is slated to begin Oct. 25, and the 325 students were moved to Milford's old Main Middle School in Clermont County for the time being.

About 110 fourth-graders at Dumont are using portable classrooms while a new school is built behind the old one. Both buildings will break ground in January and construction will begin in spring.

By next school year, six new classrooms and a new entrance will add about 14,000 square feet at the high school and will connect the academic wing with the common area, where the cafeteria, auditorium and music room are located, Superintendent Steve Kramer said.

E-mail smclaughlin@enquirer.com