Green Local Schools aren’t just turning the page in welcoming students back to school this fall; they’re starting a new chapter. New buildings and renovations are paving the way for a whole new learning experience thanks to a 3.11-mil levy voters approved in May 2022.
Early visioning sessions revealed the top goals for the new schools were security and flexibility infused with technology, notes Melinda Scalfaro, architect and partner for Canton-based SOL Harris/Day Architecture.
For this reason, the new elementary and middle schools utilize bright, modern collaborative spaces with interactive touchscreen TVs in each room as well as collaborative walls that can be opened or closed, depending on the need.
Green Elementary School on Graybill Road houses second- and third-grade students on the ground floor with fourth- and fifth-grade classrooms on the second floor. Similarly, Green Middle School on Steese Road has sixth-grade classrooms on the first floor and seventh- and eighth-grade students on the second floor.
“We designed them in a way that each grade is its own pod, so it breaks down the scale of these larger buildings and makes them feel like they’re in a smaller community that serves as their home base,” Scalfaro notes. “Outside the classrooms, it’s not just a corridor — it’s also an extended learning area, so that they can use that space [as well].”
Superintendent Jeff Miller notes the building designs also attempt to satisfy residents’ requests for buildings that last 50 years or more.
“The reason for the flexibility and adaptiveness [is] where over the years, as education changes, that building can change with it,” he says.
Meanwhile, Green Primary School, which houses pre-school through first grade, will continue to see improvements into the new school year. However, Assistant Superintendent Alana Niemiec notes much of the work, such as painting, carpeting and flooring, will be completed during off-hours and not during the school day. She adds construction crews were mindful to focus on the classrooms during the summer and to leave the common areas for later in the year.
“The goal is to have the classrooms ready for students and not impact their instructional day,” she stresses.
Also on the horizon, a new bus garage is set to replace the outdated building that has been used since the 1950s. A 9,750-square-foot building with indoor storage will serve both the city’s and school district’s needs. It is set for completion by fall 2026.
