Resources
A New Chapter Has Begun
The community’s support of a bond issue in May 2018 set into motion a new chapter in Little Miami’s history. Over the next three years, construction of an all-new early childhood school will occur along with additions to three other buildings.
With construction will come change, in everything from parking and traffic flow, to grade reconfigurations and school calendars. As we move through this exciting time, we would again ask for the community's support, input and patience.
Timeline
Parents, teachers and administrators discussed the vision for new educational spaces in September 2018.
- May 8, 2018: Community approves $64.6 million bond issue
- July 31, 2018: Board passes resolution to select design professional firms
- Sept. 19-20, 2018: Parents, teachers, administrators visit Institute of Applied Creativity for Transformation at the University of Dayton for construction project visioning
- Sept. 25, 2018: Board passes resolution to accept the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission master plan and ELPP project agreement
- Nov. 26, 2018: RFQ advertised for construction manager services
- Nov. 27, 2018: Board approves contact with Emersion Design for architecture design services ($4,019,276) and approves OFCC visioning report
- Dec. 10, 2018: Sale of $59.6 million in bonds on bond market; an additional $5 million in notes to be sold in January, 2019
- Dec. 10: Initial planning meeting with stakeholders to program additions to intermediate, junior high and high school
- January 2019 (approx.): Construction manager hired, programming for new early elementary school completed
- March 2019 (approx.): Schematic design of intermediate school addition completed
- April 2019 (approx.): Schematic designs of junior high and high school additions completed
- May 2019 (approx,): Schematic design of new early elementary school completed
- June 2019 (approx.): Design development of intermediate school addition completed
- August 2019 (approx.): Construction documents for intermediate school completed; design development of junior high and high school additions completed
- September 2019 (approx.): Design development of new early elementary school completed
- December 2019 (approx.): Construction documents for junior high and high school additions completed
- Fall 2020 (approx.): Intermediate school addition complete
- Spring 2021 (approx.): Junior high and high school additions complete
- Fall 2021 (approx.): New early elementary school complete
What do these terms mean?
Programming
Using information from the visioning process, Emersion Design/Fanning Howey will develop a list of spaces and square footages for the school and additions.
Schematic Designs
Emersion will take this list and develop concept floor plans. The firm will also determine the “massing” of the buildings (size, shape and how they are situated on the site), and general aesthetics of the exteriors.
Design Development
Emersion will finalize floor plans, then create exterior and interior elevations and will finalizing all building materials.
Construction Documents
Emersion will create actual drawings that the construction crews will use to build the buildings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Large gathering space inside K-12 school in Eminence, Ky., visited by Little Miami stakeholders in December 2018.
All construction projects will not be done until fall of 2021. Will shifting of students and staff occur before that time?
More than likely yes, but specifics have yet to be determined. Stakeholder input will be vital to this discussion.
Could construction affect the school calendar?
The school calendar for the 2019-2020 school year has already been set by the Board of Education, but It seems likely that beyond that, the Little Miami school calendar could impacted by our construction projects. It is too soon to tell what those changes may be, and any changes will be communicated to our families as early as possible.
Have decisions already been made about the inside and outside designs of the buildings?
Not yet, but the process has begun. In order to receive OFCC dollars, Little Miami is required to complete an educational planning or “visioning” process with a state-approved consultant. Thirty-seven teachers, parents and administrators spent three days in the fall of 2018 with this consultant discussing the overall principles to guide the development of the new building and the additions. Next steps are discussions with stakeholder groups about what they would like to see in these new spaces. The first of these meetings was held Dec. 10, 2018.
Parking at some of these buildings is already limited. How will this be handled when construction is going on?
The key words here are flexibility and patience. We already know that traffic and parking will be challenges for those buildings that will have construction projects. The construction manager (to be hired in January 2019) will be working with the architect firm and the district to develop a workable plan to manage traffic in and around these sites. This plan will be communicated with our families as early as possible.
