'Best of class': Construction begins on Massillon's new elementary schools
MASSILLON – Massillon City Schools is moving into a new era as construction has begun on the district's two new elementary schools.
Officials broke ground on the projects last month.
"The sites are all prepped," Superintendent Paul Salvino said. "You can already start to see some base asphalt for certain lots with the construction. Through the winter months, you will begin to see the building foundation going in."
Work on the two sites will take place at the same time, he added.
CT Taylor of Hudson will serve as the construction manager and general contractor for the project. It will oversee every aspect of the project, including subcontracting additional work, Salvino said. The project architect is the Architectural Vision Group (AVG) of Cleveland.
The district is constructing two 91,000-plus-square-foot buildings to house prekindergarten to third grade at each site. The east building will be constructed on the visitor parking lot at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium on the Washington High School campus. The other school is behind the Massillon Intermediate and Junior High School on the city's west side.
How much is the Massillon Schools construction project costing?
The cost of the project is around $45 million. The Ohio Facilities Construction Commission will contribute $15,219,211. The district will contribute $29,807,375.
The two campuses — east and west — will improve safety and security and save money for services such as maintenance. The move also streamlines transportation. The new bus garage is located between the two campuses, officials said.
Massillon City Schools: Former Washington High transformed into efficient, multipurpose operations facility
"When this is done, I believe we will have the best-of-class elementary schools that Massillonians can be proud of," Board of Education President Tom Radel said. "Our students and teachers will have a much nicer environment to learn and we are doing all of it without a new levy."
Construction is expected to be completed by June 2025, with the schools opening in the fall for the 2025-26 school year.
The design of the schools is identical, aside from the layout may be different based on the site, Salvino said. Both buildings will have single-story sections, as well as two-story sections. The east school will be about 91,223 square feet and the west side will be 91,206 square feet.
The architects, he said, came up with a design that shows appreciation for the region with a hint of an industrial look for the exterior.
The buildings will feature state-of-the-art open learning spaces.
Salvino noted the Board of Education agreed to take on locally funded initiatives above the state-approved building plans, adding additional classroom space, larger cafeterias, wider hallways and a larger gym with bleacher seating. The district will spend an additional $23.8 million for the enhancements.
"We set aside those funds," Salvino said.
New buildings to replace aging schools
Each building will have extended learning areas — a shared space with various school resources that will be available in each pod. Classrooms extend off of the those shared spaces. The pods will have their own set of student and staff restrooms, Salvino explained.
Pre-K and kindergarten will have a separate entrance at both of the buildings, as well as their own playground. Salvino said the state is funding two preschool classrooms at each building. The district will fund an additional classroom at each school to maintain its current levels for its half-day program. Students attend in the morning or afternoon.
The schools will have an open concept, Salvino said, adding it is a unique design with the media center located near the cafetorium.
The new buildings will replace the district's aging elementary schools.
Whittier Elementary is 82 years old. Franklin is 66 years old and Gorrell was built 65 years ago.
The existing buildings have space issues, are not energy efficient, and are not equipped to handle growing technology, officials say. The district has spent millions in the past few years in maintenance, replacing boilers and repairing the plumbing and heating systems. All three schools are set to be razed when the project is complete.
Radel said the new spaces address some of the issues that plague the older schools, including having to cancel school for excessive heat. The spaces will be temperature-controlled with central air and heating.
"The students of Massillon City Schools will now be able to attend vibrant 21st-century buildings that other communities are seeing," Salvino said. "We are really excited to provide that to our students and future students."
Reach Amy at 330-775-1135 or amy.knapp@indeonline.com.
This article originally appeared on The Independent: Massillon begins construction of two new elementary schools
