Our schools have enjoyed a great start after Winter Break, albeit a short two day week. There were several requests for more of those from our students on Friday! Looking ahead through 2024, Fairbanks Local Schools has several projects and areas of focus to be excited about. Each of these items allows our schools to grow and help support our students, staff, families, and community. 2024 will be a great year for Fairbanks!
Phase I of the Master Facility Plan
During the summer, our schools updated our high school locker rooms and began renovating middle school classrooms. This included flooring, ceiling tiles, and painting. In October, the elementary school addition broke ground. This 7000 square foot addition is scheduled to be completed for the 2024-2025 school year. Once completed the six classrooms and two intervention spaces will help ease some of the capacity issues currently at the elementary school as well as allow the Fairbanks preschool program to return to our campus.
Phase II of the Master Facility Plan and March Ballot Issue
In November, our district passed the Permanent Improvement issue on the ballot. This will allow the district to finance $11,000,000.00 to begin work on Phase II of the Master Facility Plan. Garmann-Miller is currently developing options for our school to update systems in our school. That included HVAC and electrical systems. We expect to have the options later this month. As these plans get finalized, we will share them with our school community.
The Board of Education voted in December to return to the ballot in March for the combined .25% income and 1.85 mil property tax to fund the remaining pieces of Phase II. The $23,000,000.00 will be used to complete renovations of the middle and high school, add 19,000 square feet to the front of the building, a 12,000 square foot multi-purpose gymnasium, and infrastructure updates around campus. This decision by the board was based on feedback from the Master Facility Task Force, community feedback, and the district’s agreement with the Ohio Facility Construction Commission. As we move toward March, please look for updated information on the district’s levy webpage and frequently asked questions.
April 8 – Eclipse Day
At the last regular Board of Education meeting, the board approved a change to our academic calendar that made April 8, “Eclipse Day” a Panther Pathway day for Fairbanks Local Schools. That means students will not be reporting to school on April 8. Panther Pathway days are designed for student experiences. This is truly a once in a lifetime experience. Students will be provided with eclipse viewing glasses and will be encouraged to enjoy this event safely with their family.
Here is a link to the proposal that was shared with the board: Eclipse Day Planning
Ultimately, safety was a driving consideration in this recommendation. The time of totality coincides with dismissal. Coupling that with the feedback from emergency management agencies about the potential for traffic in the area made adjusting the calendar very important.
Please look for follow up communication over the coming weeks about plans for the day. We will be sharing information about staff and student activities as we develop them collaboratively across the district.
Safety Grant
Every year we grow safety practices either through physical upgrades, training, or wellness supports. Some years we have significant boosts and we expect a boost in 2024. Last spring our middle and high school was awarded $200,000.00 for safety upgrades. These plans had to sustain any potential building project. Below are the items that will be addressed over the coming months.
- Camera System: Updated camera system and expanded camera coverage including entrances
- Doors: Exterior door upgrade, fob system upgrade, and middle school entranceway are all part of the updates.
- Window Film: All entrances will be receiving shatter film for the windows.
- Visitor ID: Every office will receive a visitor identification system. All visitors entering our buildings will have to run their driver’s license and will receive an identification sticker with their photo. This will assist our buildings in tracking who is in the school at any given time.
Additionally, we are waiting on another grant that would provide money to replace our PA system in all three buildings and cameras at the elementary school.
Academic Opportunities
The Fairbanks school community has high expectations academically. Our students, teachers, and support staff take these expectations very seriously. Our buildings are consistently looking for ways to refine and enhance student experiences. In 2024, the continued development of Authentic Learning, Science of Reading, STEM Programming, and Middle School Flex will be some of the things our families can expect. At the high school, authentic learning opportunities like internships, service learning, and problem-based learning continue to be woven into student learning. Science of Reading will be finishing its second year of implementation across the elementary school. Fairbanks STEM programming now extends in grades 6-12. Finally, the new middle school Flex schedule allows for support and intervention to occur everyday for all grade levels.
If you have questions about any of these topics, please contact me or come to one of our upcoming community coffees. Our next coffee is Friday, January 26 at 8:30 am in Plain City at the Richwood Coffee.
In Fairbanks Local Schools, we live our mission every day – “Pride in our Past, Passion in the Present, and Preparing for the Future”. In 2024, we hope to continue living this mission and reflect it in the work happening across our school district. It will be a great year for Fairbanks!!
- Adham Schirg, Fairbanks Local Schools, Superintendent
For Fairbanks 