District construction moves toward completion; Thomas turnover expected in October
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Summary
Architect and project manager Mike Dingledine updated the Worthington City Board of Education on the district's Master Facilities Plan Phase 2, saying major interior and site work will finish this summer and most spaces at the two high schools will be occupied by fall; the board asked about restrooms, acoustics, student circulation and athletics.
Mike Dingledine, the district's facilities project lead, told the Worthington City Board of Education on March 10 that Phase 2 of the master facilities plan is moving "over the hump" and approaching substantial completion. He said much of the remaining work will take place this summer with a major turnover of spaces expected in October.
The update focused on Thomas Worthington High School and Worthington Kilbourne High School, where Dingledine reviewed building footprints, circulation changes, and athletics and fine-arts spaces. "This year will be kind of the substantial completion of of everything that we're doing, and it's really exciting," he told the board, and he said the project team expects the front lawn and parent/bus drop-off drive at Thomas to be finished before school starts.
Why it matters: Several high-capacity spaces are affected. Dingledine gave seat-capacity numbers the board requested: the revised Thomas gym capacity (including an upper deck) is 1,563; Thomas auditorium, 900; Kilbourne competition gym, 1,443; Kilbourne auditorium (unchanged), 772. He said adjustments to gym sideline clearance reduced seating by about 50 seats at each school to provide safer circulation and space for scoring tables and team areas.
Board members pressed on operational details and timing. Board President Kelly Davis and members asked whether restrooms will be available in the newly opened sections; Dingledine said restroom locations were shifted to support assembly areas and that the building will have additional restroom density "just outside the student dining where the students will be going both east and west and north and south," and he reiterated the October turnover date for core areas. Superintendent Dr. Trent Bowers and others raised emergency-response considerations, which Dingledine said had influenced room numbering and circulation decisions.
Dingledine reviewed the natatorium at Thomas Worthington's campus and said the 10-lane pool excavation and footings are mostly complete and pool vendor Patterson will soon install panels. He described the natatorium as a two-level arrangement with spectator seating and a student training room that connects to locker rooms and the pool. He said the natatorium envelope is complete and brick and stone details match the high school building.
Kilbourne work: Dingledine said the renovation there required more complex phasing because of site constraints, the ravine and permitting through federal regulators (the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers), but that Resili (the district contractor) has kept work moving so closeout can follow issuance of the building permit. He described new science labs, expanded music and performance spaces, new teacher workstations and a larger outdoor commons that will allow the building to visually and physically connect with the ravine.
Schedule and site work: Dingledine said the district will complete most of the green (occupied) areas for the start of school and finish remaining outdoor site work and athletic diamonds into 2026 for equity across both high schools. He said some construction will trail into September but the district expects large-scale transitions in October, with the cafeteria, media center, administrative area and renovated gyms among the first to return to regular use.
Student- and staff-facing impacts: The board and community speakers discussed likely temporary relocations this spring and summer for band, choir and athletics; Dr. Bowers noted the district is planning to use middle- and elementary-school spaces and several sites (Worthing Way, McCord and Perry middle schools, Liberty and Evening Street elementaries) to accommodate rehearsals and summer programs.
Other details and district investments: Dingledine showed renderings of an "Art Alley" and multiple new entrances (including an east entrance into the fine-arts wing) and said the district invested in pass-through fume hoods in science labs and upgraded acoustics in key rooms. He thanked staff and students for cooperating during live-school construction.
Board questions and public comment: Board members thanked Dingledine and asked follow-up questions about signs and articulation on Kilbourne's auditorium, the footprint and character of the natatorium facades, and the sequencing of competition and auxiliary gym closures so spring and fall athletics can operate. A number of board members and community attendees praised the design work and said student feedback sessions on the new music and band spaces had been enthusiastic.
Ending: The project lead said most major Phase 2 work will be completed this year, with substantial areas in use by October; some athletic and fine-arts elements will follow. The board and administration signaled continued attention to circulation, restroom access and temporary program relocations during the summer construction period.
