New North Ridgeville High School on Track for 2028 Opening

One of the lessons students learn during their school years is to be on time, never tardy. Hammond Construction of Uniontown, Ohio, responsible for building the North Ridgeville City School District’s new high school and transportation/maintenance facility, is setting a positive example.

“We are on schedule and under budget,” says Bill Schurman, Partner at Hammond Construction. “The new high school will be complete in the summer of 2028, and the school district will do the move-in over the summer in time for the 2028-2029 school year. Throughout my career, there has been nothing more rewarding than building schools.”

Structural work on the new school with foundations and masonry is ongoing. Steel erection began this August and is continuing into fall. Schurman notes that by winter, the building’s two-story academic wing with classroom spaces will be “erected, roofed and enclosed, so work can be completed on the inside, unaffected by the weather.”

Most of the heaviest demolition of the old high school could happen the summer of 2028, with progress continuing into fall. Because the existing site (which will become field space for athletics) can be separated from the rest of the campus, the demolition will not cause major disruption to the campus, according to Schurman, who says safety and environmental concerns are paramount.

Of course, before any of the three-year construction could begin, the design for the 340,000-square-foot high school, made possible by a $143 million bond issue passed in 2023, had to be created with the input from the community, school staff and students.

Architect Claire Markwardt Bank with ThenDesign Architecture in Willoughby is excited about a number of exceptional features in the new school. Those include a new performing arts center, a natatorium and a large school dining/community resource area that she calls the heart of the building. Also, the high school’s expanded learning areas are flexible spaces scattered throughout the building.

“The school district has a lot of trust in its students to offer these spaces,” Markwardt Bank says.

Having a working laboratory right outside current classroom windows throughout construction also presents unique educational opportunities, according to Principal Meghan Hignite. Partnerships with architects, interior designers and construction trade representatives can give students a first-hand look at those careers. Math students and language arts students also benefit from assignments involving real-world challenges and projects, according to educators.

“We know there is always some inconvenience with construction. This new building is very large, taking up a lot of space on a very active campus,” Schurman says. “We hope to offset the inconveniences by providing some opportunities for students to be exposed to the construction activities, particularly as they relate to curriculum they are studying. ”

“We were able to bring a lot of our dreams to this space. All things will be safe and clean and open with natural light,” adds Hignite, whose school serves about 1,400 students. “The freedom to move around easily in the building is huge, and we can offer so many new opportunities. It will be a place where students want to be.”