Recordpub.com - Inside new Ravenna High School: Group gets tour of construction site

By Chad Murphy

Record-Courier news editor

Despite the noise and dust of ongoing construction, members of the Leadership Portage County Class of 2010 got a look Thursday inside the new Ravenna High School taking shape on North Chestnut Street.

“It’s just amazing to see it move from a two-dimensional drawing to a three-dimensional reality,” said Dr. Tim Calfee, Ravenna superintendent.

Wearing hard hats, the visitors dodged construction material and debris on tours guided by Calfee and Bill Wisniewski, director of business operations for the district. The walls are up and most of the windows have been installed, Wisniewski said. Workers now are focused on gutters, downspouts, water lines and the fire suppression system.

Monitoring construction of the $28 million project is a big part of Wisniewski’s job. He holds several meetings each week on its progress, verifying what happened the previous week and coordinating upcoming work with contractors.

“I spend a significant amount of time out here checking and watching,” he said.

The building is expected to be completed in March. Students won’t move into the new school until the new school year, which gives the district six months to complete last-minute details and punch-list fixes, Calfee said.

Classrooms will be located on the east side of the structure, with the gymnasiums, student dining and auditorium on the west end. Wisniewski said it’s an effort to keep the noisier and quieter school activities separated.

Classroom space is divided into three wings, with the science rooms occupying the center hallway. Hallway skylights allow in more natural lighting. Classrooms also will be carpeted, in another effort to reduce noise, Wisniewski said.

The building also boasts two gyms, one for competition and one for physical education. Basketball hoops have been installed and the walls are painted, but both currently are being used for construction storage.

LPC members were impressed by the building.

“This is amazing,” said Karen Claxton, LPC executive director. “I think the kids in Ravenna are going to be pretty lucky when they go here.”

Maria Schmidt, a Class of 2010 member, agreed. She called the building well designed and well thought out.

“It almost makes me want to go back to high school,” she said.

Nearly 53 percent of the project cost is being financed by the Ohio School Facilities Commission. Voters approved a bond issue for the district’s share.

The new facility is 30,000 square feet bigger than the current high school, a 128,000-square-foot structure originally built in 1921. Calfee said the new school will have computerized smart boards, which resemble white boards but also can be used like computer monitors for video and multimedia presentations, as well as other technology.

“To be able to provide our instruction in a modern, up-to-date facility is wonderful,” Calfee said.