Alumni given opportunity to walk through current Brunswick High School

BRUNSWICK — Brunswick alumni will soon have the chance to walk the halls of the current high school one more time as it enters its final school year in operation. Superintendent Jason Niedermeyer said Brunswick High School Principal Keith Merrill is organizing a handful of opportunities for the community to see the existing Brunswick High School as a way to say goodbye. "He's going to open up the doors," Niedermeyer said. "We're going to have some administrators or staff members throughout the building. People will have the opportunity to walk around and take pictures." The first opportunity will take place from 4-6 p.m. Aug. 7. Those who plan on attending should RSVP at ow.ly/BkNv50Zgk2o. "Mr. Merrill is very passionate about making sure that the community can say goodbye to the building appropriately," Niedermeyer said. "There will be a number of opportunities that he and his staff will be providing to make sure we can get folks through that building." Another focus the district has is honoring its past while looking toward the future, he said. "There's going to be a couple of nice things in the new building that will pay homage to the old building," Niedermeyer said. "People will still be able to go in and see some of those relics digitally." Construction at the new Brunswick High School is ongoing, he said. The brick veneer of the building is being finished, and windows are going in. "The part that the community doesn't necessarily get to see at this point is there are sections of the building that are completely under roof and closed off," Niedermeyer said. "We have drywall going up, there's paint on the walls and flooring is being put in, so it's all very exciting." Before the weather turns cold, the building will be completely under roof, and work will continue on the inside of the building, he said. "It's everything from the mechanical rooms to ensuring that all of the utilities are run to the right locations and that they're functioning correctly," Niedermeyer said. "We've had a great deal of focus on making sure that our fiber lines are going to be running into the building here pretty soon, so that the internet will function the way it's supposed to function." The goal is to turn over the keys to the building to the district in May 2027. "We're hoping that if all goes according to the plan, we'll get our certificate of occupancy," Niedermeyer said. "Then we'll take the months of June and July and move into the building and get people situated and test everything out before we start having students." Another part of the district's construction project is elementary school additions. He said the four classrooms at Applewood Elementary School are under roof, and the expectation is to have the classrooms operational for the 2026-27 school year. "Over at Kidder (Elementary School), we have two preschool classrooms that are about 1,200 square feet apiece, and we are intending to use both of those rooms," Niedermeyer said. "Then, at what they call Kidder south, which is the art room, we're hopeful that we'll have access to that at the beginning of this coming school year as well." Construction in the district is part of a $102 million project, which is utilizing local and state funding. To learn more, visit tinyurl.com/2xandkn4. Contact reporter Madisyn Woodring at (330) 721-4049 or mwoodring@medina-gazette.com.