Plan for new school nears halfway point

A groundbreaking ceremony could take place in late summer or early fall.

By SEAN BARRON

VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT

NORTH JACKSON — The second of four design phases of a new school is about to conclude, and the next, more detailed aspect will soon get under way.

The new 81,600-square-foot Jackson-Milton High School/Middle School will include geothermal heating and cooling, which will save on utility bills, said Tom Huff at Thursday's board of education meeting.

Huff, project superintendent for the Ruhlin Co. of Sharon Center, Ohio, said the environmentally friendly technology will allow the $14.8 million school to have air conditioning without a large increase in utilities. The cost of natural gas will be lower in the winter, largely because the school will be able to use heat from the ground, Huff said. The Ruhlin Co. is serving as the district's construction manager.

The next phase will focus, among other things, on spatial relations and how classrooms will be set up, he said, adding that a groundbreaking ceremony could take place in late summer or early fall.

The school will house pupils in grades six through 12 and will be built on more the than 100 acres that the district owns between Mahoning Avenue and Interstate 76. The facility should be open by September 2009, Superintendent Buck Palmer said.

Other actions

In other action, the board heard a presentation outlining a continuous improvement plan at the middle school. Principal Lisa Whitacre said her school uses local and state data to implement ways to improve pupils’ academic success; another component of the plan includes individual tutoring and small-group assistance as interventions to address discipline and other issues.

All of the school’s staff have input regarding the plan, Whitacre said. Of about 220 pupils, 114 made the honor roll during a recent nine-week grading period, she said, adding that the number has increased during each of the grading periods this year.