By JAN McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
There is still no earth moving for the new Bowling Green High School, but BG Superintendent Ted Haselman assured that plans are moving forward – almost daily.
“This is the most important time,” Haselman said Thursday as he spoke to the Bowling Green Kiwanis Club. Before ground can be broken, the needs of students and the community must be considered in the design process, so the school building serves those needs for decades to come.
He has repeatedly stated that the district is focused on getting it right – not rushed.
“There’s a lot to do before the shovel hits the ground,” he said of the new school, which will be located in the space currently used as the high school parking lot.
Haselman predicted the geothermal wells for the site will be dug next month, followed by a building groundbreaking in late April or early May.
The new high school is expected to be open in the fall of 2027.
The 155,000-square foot school has several specific areas of focus as the designing portion of the project nears completion. Haselman listed those areas as:
- Academic areas
- Food service area
- Arts area
- VoAg area
- Gymnasium
- Technology needs
- Mechanical systems area
- Furniture needs
- Parking and traffic flow
Participants in the planning process have included architects, engineers (including acoustic engineers), teachers, administrators, staff, the City of Bowling Green, Wood County, and the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission.
Haselman estimated that between 50 and 60 different layouts have been discussed for the new high school. But while fine tuning the layout, the district has to study what is feasible, practical and doable within the building budget.
“Everything’s doable – for the right price,” he said, stressing school officials are being very watchful of the building expenses. “The numbers coming in so far are on budget.”
“We have to look at what we can afford and what’s going to serve our students,” Haselman said. “We have to design it for today and decades to come.”
Last summer, the BG Board of Education voted to contract with Rudolph Libbe for construction manager-at-risk services for the new $72.8 million high school. Haselman explained that manager role entails overseeing all the sub contractors, and conducting the bidding processes on the district’s behalf.
“They will oversee the foundation up to the roof – and everything in between,” he said.
Haselman pointed out that four of the six members of the Rudolph Libbe team working on the project live in the Bowling Green City Schools District.
At the school board’s request, the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission has committed to paying 17% of the new high school construction expenses that the state is willing to fund. That state share is expected to be very close to $10 million.
The one bit of work that has been visible to local residents is the moving of the athletic practice field, which was between the high school parking lot and the football field, to a space north of the middle school, along Fairview Avenue.
The parking lot for the new high school will be constructed where the practice field was previously located.
