FAIRBORN — Fairborn Primary School staff members and students are less than one year away from moving into the new building.
Fairborn City School District Director of Business Affairs Jeff Patrick said the district is anticipating a move-in date of June 19, 2020. According to Patrick, construction fell behind in the spring months due to the rainy weather, but the project picked back up in mid-June. Upon the building being “closed in” — anticipated for December 2019 — interior work can begin. Patrick said the construction delays due to weather will be made up when interior work takes place.
“I’m nervous, not about the construction, but getting moved-in in time,” Patrick said. “We will be moving from the old Fairborn Primary School to the new Fairborn Primary School. Staff from the old Fairborn Intermediate School will move into the old Fairborn Primary School building during a very tight window.”
“June, July and August [next year] will be busy,” he added.
Staff and students moving into the new Fairborn Primary School will be utilizing mostly brand new equipment as part of Ohio Facility Construction Commission rules. Patrick said teachers moving into the Fairborn Primary School will be tasked with moving their personal items, textbooks and similar equipment, but will have brand new desks, chairs, technology, whiteboards and more to utilize for the very first time.
Teachers moving from the old Fairborn Intermediate School to the old Fairborn Primary School building will have more work to do, as the equipment in the old Fairborn Primary School building is suited for younger children. Therefore, more equipment to suit the age and size of the Fairborn Intermediate School students will have to be moved.
Upon moving buildings next summer, the current Fairborn Intermediate School will be demolished and the grounds will be prepared for the new building to be constructed. The district is anticipating the current Fairborn Intermediate School building to be demolished by fall 2020 while construction will begin for the new building by early 2021. The district is anticipating to move into the new Fairborn Intermediate School building by 2022.
After Fairborn Intermediate School teachers and students move out of the old Fairborn Primary School building and into the new Fairborn Intermediate School building, the former Fairborn Primary School facility will be demolished and the district will utilize the grounds to plant grass, expand parking and erect additional playground equipment.
Patrick described the new Fairborn Primary School facility to be a “neat building” and said it will include two-stories, bright and vivid colors, modern technology, updated safety features and a storm shelter in the building’s gymnasium that will serve as a safe zone. Patrick added that the building will be very age-appropriate for the students in preschool through third grade and would not be suited for students in fourth and fifth grades.
Patrick said the Fairborn Primary School construction project is right on budget. The bids, Patrick said, allowed the district to purchase “alternates” because they “came well,” he said.
“The extra money allowed us to purchase alternates,” Patrick said. “For example, alternates would be extra recess equipment or an [improved] gym floor.”
“We will be keeping an eye on the Fairborn Intermediate School budget for sure,” he added, saying that he is hopeful that Fairborn Intermediate School can be upgraded to include some of the alternate items as well.
FCS seeking community input
Fairborn City Schools will be commencing a year-long study with the help of SHP, the architect firm who is heading the project, to determine if the district should construct new buildings for Baker Middle School and Fairborn High School.
“Administration believes we should do something [about those buildings], but we need help,” Patrick said. ” … Before administration makes that determination, we need input from our community to move forward.”
The study — which is intended to determine if the community would support another bond issue to construct a new Baker Middle School and Fairborn High School — is set to begin in August or September this year. It will include community forums, interviews and surveys.
“It’s not just the kids and teachers, but its council, the police department, fire department — everyone is excited to see the (Fairborn Primary School) project come to a completion,” Patrick said. “It’s going to help the City of Fairborn and Fairborn City Schools move forward and attract more people to move to the city and live. It’s a great thing.”
