Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Ohio District Breaks Ground on New Elementary School

  • By Matt Jones
  • 04/12/21

This weekend, school leadership in Finneytown, Ohio, broke ground on a new elementary school slated to open in spring 2022. The facility will measure in at 90,000 square feet, and its $22 million price tag will be split between the Ohio Construction Commission and the Finneytown Local School District.

“The current buildings have served the community well, but it is time to have new facilities,” said Terri Noe, Finneytown Local School District Superintendent. “The community understood that it was a better investment for the future to build new instead of trying to renovate the older facilities at a higher cost.”

The new facility, Finneytown Elementary, will feature “learning communities” in which students from multiple grade levels will share a single environment. A news release explains that the goal is to encourage collaboration between students from different classrooms and from different grades.

“Our learning communities are by far the most striking feature of the new building,” said Finneytown Elementary Principal Meredith Baker. “By design, our students, staff, and community will be able to learn together in large, shared spaces in each academic wing. Having flexible spaces and project labs throughout the building facilitate the 21st-century learning our students need and deserve.”

According to Joseph Honnerlaw, a trustee of Springfield Township, Ohio, the new facility will have “a deep and positive impact on the community for years to come, serving generations of families and providing quality educational opportunities for our children.”

The facilities will also feature enhanced safety and wellness features, as well as updated ventilation. Finneytown Schools is partnering with Skanska USA and emersion Design on the project’s design and construction.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Western Kentucky University, Gilbane Announce “Elevate WKU” Partnership

    Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Ky., recently announced that it has reached the financial close on a on a public-private partnership (P3) with Gilbane Development, according to a news release.

  • Bradley Company Highlights Hygiene Tips for Global Handwashing Day

    In honor of Global Handwashing Day on October 15, commercial washrooms and emergency safety solutions provider Bradley Company recently released the results of its 2026 Healthy Handwashing Survey. The findings indicate simple, practical steps that facilities managers can take to encourage good hygiene on campus.

  • Washington State University Debuts New Engineering Hall

    Washington State University recently celebrated a dedication ceremony for the new Schweitzer Engineering Hall on its Pullman campus in Pullman, Wash., according to university news. The facility measures 66,288 square feet, and its completion marks the first milestone in a larger university effort to modernize the engineering and design district.

  • Q&A: How to Prevent Kitchen Grease Fires in Commercial Kitchens

    School cafeterias and university dining halls serve thousands of meals daily, relying on high-heat equipment like fryers, grills, and ovens. While these operations keep students fed, they also generate significant grease-laden vapors. Without proper controls, this grease becomes a silent fire threat. As a certified exhaust cleaning specialist and business coach who has helped hundreds of institutional facilities achieve NFPA 96 compliance, I emphasize that proactive grease management isn’t optional; it’s a core fire/life safety practice.