The school is almost complete and scheduled to open for the upcoming 2023-24 school year. A building dedication and ribbon-cutting for the new Kenton Ridge is scheduled from 2 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 19, at 2250 Montego Drive.
Credit: Bill Lackey
Credit: Bill Lackey
The new Kenton Ridge campus features:
- a three-story building that has separate entries for the high school and elementary school side;
- a large media center/library,
- a bright main gym with a stage,
- a cafetorium with a stage and cafeteria, and
- some extended learning areas with seats and tables for students and staff to use.
The building now has temporary occupancy, and secretaries, administrators and teachers are getting their areas and rooms set up.
“We are expecting our final occupancy certificate within the next week and a half or two weeks,” said Kronour.
Over the last month, progress has been made in the reception area, main lobby, main gym, middle school band room, the cafetorium, elementary music classrooms and the playground.
Credit: Bill Lackey
Credit: Bill Lackey
Soft seating is now in the lobby area, with some still needing to be unwrapped. The area will be used for games, play and learning.
The main gym now has volleyball practice going on, and the cougar graphic on the wall has been finished. Cabinetry and furniture to store instruments has been installed in the middle school band room; and in the cafetorium, the floor is finished and the tables and chairs have been put in.
“(There) are things yet to be put away, but we’re glad the way our furniture has come in and is being installed,” Kronour said.
The playground will increase in size at Kenton Ridge and at the Northeastern campus, with more equipment that has been ordered, Kronour said. However, the equipment is on a 26-week back order, so it won’t be here until the new year.
The construction project is under budget, he said, but the total amount is not yet known. Officials are waiting until the new building is finished and the old buildings are torn down.
Kronour said funds are allocated for tracks for both schools, a support building around the Northeastern Athletic Complex, stands and a press box at Kenton Ridge, and shelter houses at both schools.
The old Kenton Ridge and Northeastern high schools will be demolished at a later date. However, the items inside Kenton Ridge as well as the Northridge and Rolling Hills buildings and the contents will be auctioned off at www.govdeals.com, and by searching “Northeastern.”
Auctions for items inside the two former school buildings have started, and include things such as cooking and kitchen items, furniture and classroom items.
According to the site, there are 143 total listings of items from inside the two schools so far, but new items are being added each day. The current auctions end between now and Aug. 9. As of Friday, the highest bid for an item was $382.
Items inside the old Kenton Ridge High School, and the Northridge and Rolling Hills buildings, will be auctioned off at a later date.
The district built a new campus for Northeastern for about $42 million. For the two new campuses, the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission picked up about 40% of the cost.
The district combined several school buildings into the two new buildings, moving from Northeastern High and Middle School, Kenton Ridge High School, Northridge Middle and Elementary School, Rolling Hills Elementary and South Vienna into just two buildings going forward.
The new Kenton Ridge building will open this month on the property near the existing Kenton Ridge High School, and the Northeastern site opened last fall on the northeastern side of the district, adjacent to former South Vienna school.
Voters approved a 37-year, $79 million bond issue for two new Pre-K-through-12 facilities in May 2018.
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