New Philadelphia proposes new 7-12 school on current high school site; project tied to bond issue 19

A district staff member said the New Philadelphia City intends to build a new seventh-through-12th-grade school on the current high school site, contingent on the passage of ballot issue 19 and state funding support. "This project is a direct response to the limitations of our aging infrastructure and is contingent upon the passing of the upcoming bond issue," the staff member said.

The new facility would replace the existing 7-12 configuration, which officials said includes buildings dating to 1913 and 1925. "The current New Philadelphia High School was built in 1913," the presenter said, and the Welty Middle School portions "were built in 1925." The presenter cited independent facility assessments that concluded extensive renovations would cost more than constructing a new building.

The presenter said voter approval of ballot issue 19 would allow the district to pursue an Ohio Facilities Construction Commission commitment of $80,000,000, which the presenter described as covering about 55% of the new school’s construction cost. The project is presented as contingent on that ballot approval and the OFCC commitment; no construction timeline was specified.

Design elements described by the presenter include contemporary classroom layouts to support collaborative and project-based learning, flexible seating, increased daylighting in classrooms and modern science labs. The presenter said the new building would preserve the district’s existing athletic and music wings — specifically the main gymnasium, field house and auditorium — and attach them to the new structure with selective renovations so those spaces can remain in use for students and the community.

The presenter emphasized the academic and operational benefits of new construction over renovation, saying the design would "dramatically improve the daily learning environment" by supporting modern technology and STEM programming. No vote or formal board decision was recorded in the provided transcript; the plan is presented as a proposal contingent on the bond vote and subsequent funding approvals.

Next steps noted in the presentation were limited to the contingency: passage of ballot issue 19 and securing OFCC funding. The transcript did not specify a timeline for the bond, construction schedule, total projected cost, or required local match beyond the OFCC percentage cited.