SPI Insights

Ohio – Nine school construction projects are set to receive $242 million in state funding after the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission (OFCC) approved local school district requests on July 8. These nine projects represent more than $450 million in public construction work.

Cleveland Municipal School District (CMSD) is undertaking several construction projects that total an estimated $117.19 million, of which $79.69 million is state-funded.

As part of a modernization campaign, the district plans to build two new elementary-middle schools to house grades pre-K through eight and a new Lincoln-West high school to house grades 9-12. In addition, CSMD will renovate Joseph M. Gallagher Middle School to house grades pre-K through nine.

Construction and renovation will not begin until the district holds community meetings, completes designs, and awards contracts.

Renovation of the middle school is expected to start in fall of 2022, with the construction projects following in summer of 2023. The district expects to hold ribbon cuttings for the pre-K-8 schools in summer 2024 and Lincoln-West in summer 2025.

Other districts to receive OFCC funding include Carrollton Exempted Village School District which will receive $8.54 million for its project to construct a $20.82 million elementary portion of a new pre-K through 12th-grade building.

The commission authorized more than $29.69 million for Kenton City School District’s plans to build a $45.69 million middle-high school to house grades 6-12 and a career tech program and more than $46.43 million to Lancaster City School District for its plans to build a $103.18 million high school to house grades 9-12 and a career tech program.

Lockland Local School District is renovating a K-12 building for $25.32 million of which $21.94 million will come from the state. A project to build a new $44.14 million middle school in Milford Exempted Village School District will receive $11.56 million from the commission.

Rootstown Local School District will receive $18.73 million in state funding to construct a new $45.68 million pre-K through 12th-grade building, and Metro Early College High School is planning $28.89 million in renovations to an existing middle school to house grades 6-12 using $14.44 million in state funding.

Plans to renovate and expand a career center at Ashland County-West Holmes Joint Vocational School District for $19.24 million will receive $10.99 million from the state.