Board hears construction updates: middle school work started, planning commission approves K–2 site
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Summary
Russell from GPD presented interior renderings and a schedule for the district's three school construction projects; planning commission unanimously approved the K–2 site and a groundbreaking for the middle school was held the prior Saturday.
Russell, representing GPD, gave the Bedford Board of Education a facilities update on May 15 outlining progress on three district building projects and showing interior renderings for the new middle school and K–2 building.
Russell said construction for the middle school began the Tuesday after a community groundbreaking the prior Saturday and that the district expects a second groundbreaking for the K–2 building in about four weeks. The high school is still in the site-layout and design workshop stage with bidding and construction expected about a year from now.
"We went to planning commission Tuesday, and we've got the final site approval. It was unanimously approved," Russell told the board. He showed renderings of student dining and gym spaces, flexible classroom and extended-learning-area concepts, and a media center that opens to a courtyard. The designs include operable partitions so adjacent teaching areas can combine for co-teaching or assemblies.
Russell described an outreach exercise in which kindergarten through fifth-grade students used stickers and a color palette to give direct input on playground elements and colors; that feedback is being used in the playground design. He also said the middle school will rely on its gym for large assemblies rather than include a traditional auditorium; Russell said the district expects the high school design to include an auditorium, noting that state funding does not cover auditorium construction and that such facilities are locally funded.
Board members asked for floor plans and square-foot details. Russell said the design follows the Ohio School Design Manual for classroom square footage and that full, labeled floor plans are withheld from public distribution for security reasons, but can be reviewed in a staff or committee setting.
The board later considered — and approved — a guaranteed maximum price amendment for an early site package tied to the K–2 project during the same meeting.