FAIRBORN – Fairborn City Schools will soon be surveying the community to identify whether or not the district could garner support in constructing a new Baker Middle School and Fairborn High School.
Fairborn Superintendent Gene Lolli said the district’s intent is to place a levy to support the construction project on the November 2020 ballot.
“There’s a lot of momentum in our district,” he said. “A lot of positive things have happened in the last could of years and we want to keep that momentum going.”
The district will host community forums, ask Fairborn citizens to fill out surveys and offer tours and answer questions regarding the facilities as part of the survey process. Fairborn City Schools passed a levy in November 2016 that is funding the construction of the new Fairborn Primary School and Fairborn Intermediate School.
Lolli said the ballot passed by a 2:1 vote under former Fairborn Superintendent Mark North. It passed a general operating levy just before under former interim Superintendent Terry Riley.
“It’s an exciting time and we’re thankful for the support of the community recognizing the need is real,” Fairborn Schools Spokesperson Pam Gayheart said.
According to previous reports by this newspaper, Fairborn High School – with an exception to the new Fairborn Primary School that is currently under construction – is the most modern building in the district.
It was finished in 1969.
Baker Middle School was completed in the 1950s.
“We’re just under five years away from being a quarter of the way into the 21st Century,” Lolli said. “It’s important that Fairborn City School buildings are state-of-the-art, that our learning and equipment is state-of-the-art — our kids deserve that and they’re counting on us.”
Fairborn Primary School is estimated to be completed by summer 2020. Fairborn Primary School students beginning the 2020-2021 academic year will be the first pupils to utilize the new facility. The ballot levy included the approval of construction as well as the purchasing of new equipment.
Upon its completion, students, faculty and staff members will move out of the current Fairborn Intermediate School and into the current Fairborn Primary School. After the move-out is complete, the current Fairborn Intermediate School will be demolished and the grounds will be prepped for the new facility housing students in third-through-fifth grade. The new Fairborn Intermediate School is estimated to be completed by 2022.
When students, faculty and staff members of Fairborn Intermediate School move into the completed facility, the current Fairborn Primary School will be demolished to open more space for parking, playground equipment and more.
“We have a very good relationship with the city – Mayor Paul Keller and City Manager Rob Anderson,” Lolli said. “It speaks to school and city leadership in seeing the big picture and they’re doing a great job.”
Jeff Patrick, Fairborn City Schools director of business affairs, said in a previous interview that it is anticipated that moving Fairborn Intermediate School students, faculty and staff will come with some challenges as the building is designed to house younger students.
Therefore, all of the current Fairborn Primary School equipment will have to be moved out so the current Fairborn Intermediate School equipment can be moved in what he said would be a short amount of time.
“We need continued support,” Lolli said to parents in regards to the 2019-2020 school year. “That’s what makes the district excellent – supportive parents.”
