State funding approved to build a new Brunswick High School

BRUNSWICK — The Ohio Facilities Construction Commission approved more than $42 million in funding for Brunswick City Schools to build a new high school. Brunswick first entered into a relationship with the OFCC in 2000 to show that the district was interested in potentially getting state funding for schools, Brunswick Superintendent Jason Niedermeyer said. In 2017, Brunswick started working with the OFCC to build a new middle school since the former Edwards and Visintainer Middle Schools were considered among middle schools to be in the worst condition in the state. After a segment of the plan is completed, the OFCC updates the plan for any other facilities in disrepair. A facilities assessment and enrollment study was redone for the high school. It would cost $93 million to renovate the current building, and this exceeds OFCC's two-thirds rule about the renovation to replacement cost. Niedermeyer said the current high school has problems with the roof and HVAC systems. "Our custodial and maintenance staff do a tremendous job in keeping our facilities as clean and as safe as possible, but with that said, it is an aging building, and there are some significant issues," he said. The board has the option to say that it will pass on this funding, he said. "I don't think that would be the direction that they would go," he said. "I think that the board will look at the options available to us as a school system and then make an informed decision based on all of the different variables that will have to be considered." The local share of this project is about $66.7 million. This means the school district has about 13 months to raise this funding through a bond. He said this could either be on the next November or May ballots, but the district has not yet made a decision on this. "I know that we'll rise to the challenge," Niedermeyer said. "I know that in hopefully passing the bond issue to support the other 61 percent of this project, we're going to have a building that will have an impact on the lives of children for generations to come. We're excited about this." If the funding is not raised in time, the district would be considered a lapsed district. He said if this happens, there is no guarantee that the district would be able to get an opportunity like this again from the OFCC. "We'll have some time now to be able to tell our story and help our community understand why this is a need," he said. "This is not a want." Brunswick is one of five districts throughout the state that had state funding for building schools approved on Thursday. "OFCC's action today supports student success in local communities across the state," Gov. Mike DeWine said in a news release. "The investments being made in these schools will create safe, modern and flexible learning environments that promote opportunities for academic excellence and prepare students for a successful future." Contact reporter Madisyn Woodring at (330) 721-4049 or mwoodring@medina-gazette.com.