The final designs for a new high school and five new or renovated elementary schools remain on schedule and on budget in preparation for the first groundbreakings this spring.
At the final communitywide meetings of the design phase in January, Upper Arlington Schools shared the final designs for all six projects in the first phase of the community-developed master plan.
“These designs are truly a reflection of the wishes of our community for the future of our schools,” said Superintendent Paul Imhoff, Ed.D. “They are the culmination of an incredible journey that began back in September 2015 — when the Board of Education launched a community-driven facilities master planning process.”
The new high school will feature approximately 395,000 square feet of learning space — over 100,000 square feet more than the current building; expanded arts and athletics facilities; multiple collaborative “commons areas” and outdoor learning spaces; and new mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems.
The new and renovated elementary schools will feature an increase of approximately 100,000 cumulative square feet of learning space across all five projects; updated, centralized media centers; outdoor learning spaces; and new mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems. The buildings are designed to feature “learning neighborhoods” of classrooms, each with a collaborative “commons” area.
All of the new and renovated schools have also been designed to accommodate the district’s growing enrollment. Each project has an identified logical place for a classroom addition, if needed, in the event that enrollment growth exceeds projections.
“It might come as a surprise to some residents, but our landlocked school district has been growing for the past decade and is continuing to grow,” Imhoff said. “Over the next 10 years, our enrollment is projected to grow by an additional 20 percent, and this will be a major factor as we continue to plan for the future of our district.”
From January to April, all of the projects are going out to bid in preparation for the first groundbreakings this spring.
Groundbreaking ceremonies
Community members are invited to join UA Schools for the groundbreaking ceremonies for the first five projects:
- Sunday, April 7: Upper Arlington High School
- Sunday, May 19: Barrington, Greensview, Tremont and Wickliffe elementary schools
A groundbreaking ceremony for Windermere Elementary School will follow a year later, when construction begins on that site.
“We hope all residents will come out to these groundbreaking ceremonies, which will be a celebration of this incredible community-driven process to plan for the future of our schools,” Imhoff said. “This is truly a historic time for our community and our schools. It’s a great time to be a Golden Bear!”
Residents can watch their mailboxes in the coming weeks for more information about the groundbreaking ceremonies.
Tentative construction timeline
Construction is expected to follow the tentative timeline below, updated as of Januar 2019. This timeline may be revised during the construction documents phase and/or during the construction process based on any potential delays that arise.
Ongoing (Fall 2018-Spring 2019)
Construction began in May 2018 on the Tremont athletic fields on the district-owned land behind Tremont Elementary School adjacent to Northam Park. In September 2018, the first element of the new Tremont athletic fields - a turf field - opened. Work is continuing on the final elements of the new Tremont athletic fields - baseball and softball diamonds, storage and restroom facility - which will open in spring 2019.
March 2019
Site work and site utilities will begin in preparation for construction of a new Upper Arlington High School. Construction will begin on the high school stadium, with spring sports relocated. Tremont will be prepped for the arrival of modular classrooms for use during the 2019-2020 school year.
Late Spring/Early Summer 2019
Community groundbreaking ceremonies will be held and construction will begin on the high school, Barrington, Greensview, Tremont and Wickliffe sites.
- Sunday, April 7: UAHS groundbreaking ceremony
- Sunday, May 19: groundbreaking ceremonies for Barrington, Greensview, Tremont and Wickliffe elementary schools
Fall 2019
The high school stadium will be completed.
March 2020
As construction continues at Barrington Elementary School, the site will be prepped for the arrival of modular classrooms for use during the 2020-2021 school year.
June 2020
Demolition of the current Windermere building begins to make way for the new school to be built on the same footprint; the old Wickliffe will serve as transitional space for Windermere students for the 2020-2021 school year.
Fall 2020
The new Greensview and Wickliffe Progressive elementary schools and the renovated Tremont elementary school will open to students.
Fall 2021
The new Windermere and renovated Barrington elementary schools, as well as the new high school, will open to students. Work will continue on the high school site to demolish the old building and develop athletic fields.
Fall 2022
The new high school site and the first phase of the community-developed master plan will be fully completed.
Second phase of the master plan
After the completion of the first phase of the master plan, the Upper Arlington Board of Education and the community will need to revisit the second phase of the master plan, including the two middle schools and Burbank Early Childhood School.