Frequently Asked Questions

Where are the softball and baseball fields being relocated to on the site? Will there be tennis courts?

• Currently the softball and baseball fields won't be relocated to the 6-12 Campus site. As you can see on the new site plan, most of the space is taken up by practice fields, the athletic stadium, parking, Newberry Park and water retention features.

Will there be concession at the football stadium?

• Concession’s facilities are planned for the new stadium. Due to the unique layout of the site and the stadium, there are several interesting opportunities to incorporate these into the school design. Public restrooms will also be available during community and sporting events.

I live on Silver Lake Avenue and our street already floods. How can you guarantee the flooding won’t be worse? Are accommodations being made for additional drainage due to increased non-permeable surfaces?

• Yes, accommodations are being made for additional onsite storm water mitigation. Per state and federal EPA requirements all stormwater is managed on site using storm water basins. These storm water basins are designed to accommodate the volume of a one-hundred-year storm and treat the water of large debris and contaminates as it is slowly released back into the city’s stormwater system. Additionally, site retention basins will only fill in the event of a storm.

Will Newberry Park be affected by construction and if so, how much will remain as a park with trees?

• While we are attempting to protect as much of Newberry Park as possible stormwater requirements will likely force us to remove some trees. As we near construction, the team will meet with neighbors prior to tree removal. The site plan also roughly indicates the impact to the park.

Why aren’t you building the new track and field on the Newberry site first to ensure the sports which use Layborne Field can continue uninterrupted during construction?

• The new stadium is integrated into the 6-12 building and embedded in the slope of Newberry Hill. Designing it this way allows us to capitalize on cost savings measures by using the natural site and creates an interesting focal point for the new school. It would be a significant safety risk to host events at the new stadium, while construction is going on at the new 6-12 facility.

We live on 13th street directly across from Newberry and it’s difficult to get out of our driveway at certain times. Will there be a more efficient traffic flow to ease this congestion on public streets? Additionally, drop-off and pick-up traffic at the high school and middle school is very inefficient. How will it be improved in the new school?

• During the school year, drop off and pick-up will create traffic during these times, the key to alleviating this is to pull most of this traffic off public streets. The current design scheme allows for a dedicated bus loop on school property running parallel with 13th street, keeping busses from lining up on 13^th street as they currently do. A long driveway on the west side of the school property will accommodate parent drop off. There will be enough space for vehicles to line up in multiple lanes, again keeping traffic from stacking up on public roads. While there will still be traffic during pickup and drop-off times, it should be a vast improvement from the current traffic patterns at Bolich MS.

The original plan called for a field house to accompany the stadium to enhance the co-curricular needs of our student athletes. Is that no longer in the plan and can extra money be budgeted for it?

• The fieldhouse was never included in the plan when the bond passed, it was added later as an option. With construction and materials prices increasing, the fieldhouse was eliminated from the current scheme. However, there is space for a fieldhouse to be constructed in the future if desired.

Will there be a dedicated wrestling room like we have now? Will it be larger than our current one?

• Currently the design has four dedicated physical education spaces. Likely three of those will be gymnasiums, while the other is probably a weight room and wrestling room. However, more engagement is happening with the District's PE coaches, athletic director and the community to finalize that component of the new building.

I’m concerned about my 11-yr old 6th grader being in a building with an 18-year-old senior? How will they be separated?

• While we are still designing the building, typical designs of this type use common areas like gymnasiums and cafeterias as dividers between educational spaces. Academic spaces are largely separated, and it is unlikely that a 6th grader would interact with a senior. It is most accurate to think of this new 6-12 facility as two separate buildings under one roof that share common spaces for efficiency.

Weren't schools in the 70's designed to be "open" and "flexible" but ultimately still failed to help students learn? Why is "flexibility" important in this new school?

• The "Open Concept" school designs of the 1970's largely failed because they forced educators to teach in one way--out in open spaces. These large, open spaces were noisy and distracting for students trying to learn in more intimate groups. The hallmarks of a modern "student centered" design builds flexibility into the school by providing educators a variety of different scaled spaces for teaching. There are small group rooms for individual instruction, open collaboratives for large gatherings and classrooms with movable furniture that can either accommodate lectures or be rearranged for other class activities. Modern, flexible design allows the school to react to the curricular goals of the District and supports different teaching styles of educators.

Will the high school host grades 9-12 or 10-12?

• The high school will serve grades 9-12. This is a common arrangement in schools of this model.

Will the new school have metal detectors?

• We are not currently planning for metal detectors, but the administration will finalize that decision later in the design process.

What kind of technological facilities are being included? (E.G.: computer labs, audio/visual labs.)

• Spaces in the building are “technology rich” and designed to support a variety of teaching methods and multimedia curriculum. Classrooms are state of the art and equipped with electrical and data ports along with upgraded Wi-Fi connections. Technology labs, such as computer labs and audio/visual labs are included in building programming which will be spread throughout the building.

How many band rooms, choir rooms and general music practice spaces will be implemented in the new school?

• While design is ongoing, over a third of the building is being programmed for fine and professional arts. Designers are engaging with District educators and administrators to ensure their needs are met.

How much space is dedicated to the Junior High vs. High School space?

• Each grade configuration (Grades 6 & 7, Grades 8 & 9 and Grades 10-12) are currently being designed around their own “academic centers.” This is a collaborative space that joins classrooms together. Square footage is allocated by enrollment numbers and the needs of each program. While this is not yet finalized, it is equitable for the needs of the academic program. Support spaces such as student dining, a media center and gymnasiums are shared among the junior and high school students.

For band and choir rooms, are we designing elevated riser seating like in the existing room?

• We have not yet gotten to that level of detail in the design, but our goal is to design a space that supports the needs of your thriving band and choir programs.

For the theatre classroom, will it be a small theater space like the current space or move to a blackbox theater space similar to Firestone High School?

• Designers are currently working with music staff and the administration to decide whether the space is designed as a small theater, or as a larger blackbox theater. These plans will be further developed further after more detailed discussions with the theater and drama departments.

Does the current building plan take sufficient consideration for the future growth of the Cuyahoga Falls community and neighboring areas?

• The current building design takes into account current enrollment, as well as future growth of the Cuyahoga Falls Community and neighboring areas. The building program is developed through an extensive master planning process that considers historical enrollment data from 10 years ago, and projects future enrollment 10 years into the future. While it is impossible to account for every change in enrollment, these projections are accurate.

Student safety and security are essential. How is this design providing additional safety measures, while remaining welcoming?

• Responsible student security and safety techniques do not mean compromised building aesthetics. Techniques used that promote student safety and security include providing clear visibility to the front entry, good interior and exterior lighting, proper placement of security cameras, eliminating blindspots on the property and a secure vestibule to receive visitors. These are all methods that enhance security and do not compromise building aesthetics.

How will the courtyard spaces be used in the new building?

• Courtyards serve multiple purposes. They will be designed to support the functions of the school. Many times, courtyards are convenient locations for outdoor science experiments or other academic functions. They also have been used for social gathering spaces like outdoor dining. In the current school design, they provide natural light into classrooms located in the center of the building.

Where will the auto program be located?

• The auto program is not a co-fundable space by the state of Ohio and will stay at the current high school. When the District completed their master planning phase, they did not have enough students enrolled in that program to apply for co-funding. As this program grows, it is possible to apply for funding and perhaps this is added in the future.

With current construction supply shortages, delays and inflation, how will that impact construction timeline?

• Hammond Construction is serving as the "Construction Manager at Risk," (CMR). This means they are managing all facets of construction throughout the project. Once the school design is finalized, they issue a "Guaranteed Maximum Price" (GMP) for the design. This sets the maximum cost for the District, and Hammond assumes the risk for any future price increases. GMP's, which are common in school construction, ensure that rising prices during construction don't prevent the District from finishing the school. Hammond Construction has extensive experience in educational construction, and they were involved in the initial price estimates. The supply chain issues present throughout the country are continually evolving. We will continue to monitor availability and lead times for materials and building components, and work to mitigate impacts.

Can the city government of Cuyahoga Falls make a greater contribution to the school project since it is such a large part of the community?

• While the City of Cuyahoga Falls is not a funding partner for the school, they are a huge supporter of the project. The city is invested by assisting the design team with plan reviews and zoning and planning permits. Any person or organization could contribute through donations, but specifically the City is not obligated to fund the School District or it's projects.

If the money isn’t available for the auditorium and stadium when it is time for construction what is the plan for them?

• The District is committed to constructing the design in its entirety. However, if funding isn't secured for the auditorium or stadium, when the co-funded portion of the building begins, these Locally Funded Initiatives (LFI's) will be bid out separately and finished once funding is secured.

Does the annual operating budget allow for increased costs due to leasing equipment or will that mean staff cuts?

• The Cuyahoga Falls City School District is committed to putting education first, especially during the construction project. Fiscally, the District is very conservative and wouldn't jeopardize staff positions by prioritizing furniture leases over the teachers who are charged with providing the best education for their students.

What is the key concern of educators in the music and arts program over the auditorium? Will the new school provide any music and art space?

• From conversations with educators in the music and arts program in Cuyahoga Falls, many are concerned that if an auditorium isn't constructed, they won't have a performance space for students. While funding for this portion of the building is still being explored, it is helpful to recognize that the new school actually allows for many new classrooms to accommodate music and art. These spaces make-up a significant part of the building plan. Educators can look forward to technologically advanced classrooms to further curricular goals.

Are we 20-25% over budget with or without the auditorium and stadium?

• The current design is not 20-25% overbudget. As of January 2022, the total project was 10% over budget, that includes the stadium and auditorium. We are seeing similar overages in other school projects in Ohio due to issues related to the Covid-19 pandemic. The design team and District are continuing to explore avenues to bring the project into budget.

For the kids that go to Bolich, where will they go during construction? Does this building need to be taken down?

• Students currently at Bolich will continue attending at Bolich until the new 6-12 school is finished. After that they will transfer to the new building, Bolich will be demolished, and the site will be finished. Additional parking and greenspace is planned for the current Bolich site.

Breaking ground was planned for 2022. Is that still the case and if not, when will it happen?

• We understand that timing is important on this project but a "typical building groundbreaking" will likely not happen in 2022. However, an "early site package" will begin in 2022. This includes initial land grading, tree removal, temporary road installation and the abatement and demolition of the Newberry school. Building construction is currently slated for the spring of 2023.

What are the plans for current high school building?

• The School District is considering a variety of options for the old high school. At this point, no decisions have been made, but we are committed to communicating any decisions when they come up.

In terms of population, is the Cuyahoga Falls Middle and High School projected to grow or shrink?

• Most school districts in the state of Ohio are shrinking in terms of enrollment. Northeast Ohio particularly is shrinking faster than central Ohio. Fortunately, the decline is slower today, than it was 10 years ago. This decline is typically ascribed to there being fewer children in families today as compared to Generation X or the Baby Boomers.