NORTH RIDGEVILLE, Ohio — The North Ridgeville City Schools and the city of North Ridgeville have announced their partnership for a proposed $232 million facilities project that is expected to be put before voters this fall.
The project will include construction of the following:
- A new high school
- A new elementary school
- Dedicated space for Ranger High-Tech Academy
- A new community center that includes an indoor aquatics facility, a fieldhouse with an indoor walking track, and a senior center
“I have been frequently and repeatedly asked for a recreation facility and other community spaces,” North Ridgeville Mayor Kevin Corcoran said in a statement announcing the partnership. “This project will meet the needs of the school district and satisfy the requests of the overall community … I am excited for this momentous opportunity for the school district and the City of North Ridgeville.”
Monday's announcement came less than a week after voters in North Ridgeville defeated a 4.9 mill school operating levy. The levy would have cost an additional $14.16 for those residents with homes valued over $100,000. The measure would have generated over $5.6 million per year over 10 years.
"Knowing that (the levy) was not a priority for the community at this time, we are moving to address another need the school district has related to space and condition of existing buildings," North Ridgeville City Schools Superintendent Roxann Ramsey-Caserio said during Monday's joint meeting between the school board and city council.
North Ridgeville City Schools says facilities for the district are needed due to growing enrollment, which has increased by over 1,000 students in the past decade. While Liberty Elementary is at capacity, the high school is over capacity. The district says North Ridgeville High School, which was built to house 900 students, currently houses over 1,400 students, resulting in the need for modular units.
The initial design calls for grades K-3 to be in a new elementary school, allowing for expanded universal pre-kindergarten offerings and the ability to provide full-day kindergarten. The new high school will also include a performing arts center.
The district says that by completing a joint project, the community will save over $18 million in construction costs alone, plus additional operating costs in perpetuity as opposed to doing the projects separately.
The cost of the project will be $232 million, but there is no word yet on how much money voters will be asked to contribute in tax increases when the issues are put on the ballot in November.
However, the district says assuming passage this fall, it is anticipated to take four or five years for the project to be completed. The facilities will be located on current district properties, meaning Liberty Elementary, Ranger High-Tech Academy, and North Ridgeville High School will be taken out of service.
You can watch Monday's joint North Ridgeville City Council and North Ridgeville School Board meeting below:
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