Volume 1, Issue 1

A publication designed to update the community on the construction process for the new PreK-5 elementary building

Construction Process for PreK-5 Facility Underway!

Dear Brecksville-Broadview Heights City Schools Community,

Joelle Magyar,
Superintendent
Introducing The Buzz: Designed to Keep YOU Informed! With a great deal of excitement and enthusiasm, I am writing to you with this hard copy version of “The Buzz” newsletter as a proactive method by which the community can remain informed about all of the positive things taking place during the construction process of the new PreK-5 elementary building. Without question, the planning, design
and development of such a facility requires a great deal of	Example rendering of exterior façade of the time, precision, energy and attention to detail on behalf of                    new PreK-5 Elementary Building
many individuals. I would like to thank the Cities of Brecksville and Broadview
Heights for their continued partnership and support on many different levels during this project. The school district on multiple occasions has taken time to visit both City Halls during workshop or Council gatherings and present updates while answering any questions. Thank you to both Mayors for providing us that opportunity. The BBHCSD recognizes the value of keeping everyone in the community posted, and that is the purpose of this newsletter: To inform, update and inspire!

Community Input Has Guided Our Path

The BBHCSD would like to thank the many individuals who have participated in the design and development process. After the bond issue passed last May, a series of public meetings took place during the fall of 2018 including both Mayors and leaders from the communities. Staff members, parents, teachers and other stakeholders were all included in these
meetings as well. The information obtained from the community was comprehensive. Architects and construction managers learned the community’s thoughts on learning spaces, innovation, exterior façade designs, landscaping, safety and security needs, transportation and other areas of focus. Once obtained from the community, the design professionals went to work developing renderings of the new PreK-5 facility, which were presented earlier in the Spring 2019.

A Wealth of Construction Update Information Is Available Online

While the District recognizes that not every person is online, which prompts this hard copy newsletter update, please be advised that a wealth of information
exists on the Construction Process Page of the BBHCSD website. By simply visiting http://www.bbhcsd.org/ConstructionProcessUpdate.aspx, the community can see a complete preview of building renderings, review timelines, and click through presentations from the design professionals. It’s all at your fingertips!

Enjoy this publication and please accept it as a way for the BBHCSD to share with the community important updates, valuable insights and relevant information as together, we march toward the next generation of education in our District. Thank you for your continued support.

GO BEES! Joelle Magyar
Superintendent of Schools

Inside, you will find an update of all of the exciting progress on the PreK-5 Elementary Building

www.bbhcsd.org	Connect with us!	@bbhcsd

Important Facts and Updates Regarding the PreK-5 Facility Construction Progress

Below the community will find a summary of important information pertinent to the construction process of the District’s new PreK-5 elementary building. As always, more information is available online and can be accessed at any time. Please read below to learn more about the progress of the PreK-5 facility.

Pertaining to the Land Swap with the City of Brecksville, Ohio Revised Code Section 3313.40 creates a standard in land swaps between Cities and School Districts that the exchange must be “mutually beneficial.” The BBHCSD believes that this statute encourages governments to work together for their respective communities. Both the Brecksville City Council and the Board of Education have concluded that the various land
swaps, right of continued usage and related developments and sharing of spaces are mutually beneficial. Looking solely to appraised values would ignore key elements of the overall transaction, including, District savings from not building gyms and related spaces (approximately $3,000,000), the advantages of all students having access to four gyms during the school day, shared surveying and related project expenses and retained
This type of collaborative space design will likely	right to use Stadium Drive.

be incorporated into the New PreK-5 Facility.	Stadium Drive is included in the Land Swap, but the District and City need to develop a Shared Use Agreement related to the District’s continued use of the property.

As to appraisals, our legal counsel has advised that appraisals of school buildings are of limited value. The major challenges of such appraisals include location of schools being generally in a single family residential neighborhood, zoning issues, finding comparative sales of comparative properties, costs associated with repurposing schools into a commercial venture and redevelopment options generally being some type of residential housing (drug treatment, senior housing, assisted living or medical clinic) which often does not blend with the existing neighborhoods. Strongsville, North Ridgeville and Cleveland Schools each had appraisals and sold at public auction (as required by 3313.41 of the ORC) for substantially less than the appraised values. Politically, if the School District sells property it often is blamed for the resulting use of the property which can create long-term political challenges.

So that the community knows, no other property trades are being considered at this time. The District is leasing space from the City of Brecksville for the Pre-K.

The Real Estate transfer agreements will be available for all to review prior to the Board’s consideration. It is anticipated once the wetlands process is completed, the land transfer will occur. We do not want to create confusion as to property ownership as we go through the wetlands process.

As contemplated by the memorandum of understanding, (MOU), the Field House will be on City property and
the School will be on the District’s 25 acres. The property boundary will run through the building and will be finalized once the design is completed.

There is no plan for a lease between the City of Brecksville and the School District. However, there will be easement agreements related to the project for ingress/egress and utilities.

It is currently anticipated that the District’s use of the Field House will be limited to School Hours on School Days and during varsity tournaments at the High School.

The New PreK-5 Elementary School will be equipped with Innovative Spaces and State of the Art Technology to Promote Critical Thinking, Problem Solving and Collaborations

www.bbhcsd.org	Connect with us!	@bbhcsd

Contact the BBHCSD Anytime with further questions or inquiries!

The Field House is being designed and paid for by the City of Brecksville. The operating costs of the School will be paid by the District and the operating costs of the Field House by the City.

Insurance on the Field House will be under a City policy. If for some reason that cannot occur, the City will pay for the proportional costs of insurance.

BBHCSD may have access to the Field House for evening activities with the permission of the City. Currently there are no such plans.

The Media Center will be state-of-the-art with innovative technology solutions and collaborative work spaces

The specifics of safety and security are generally not discussed in public forums. However, our design team has met with police and fire representatives of both cities to review safety and security designs. To our understanding, all recommendations are being implemented. We can arrange a detailed briefing for you on these issues. As a general matter, the City is not using the Field House during the School Day. We anticipate that there may be a recreation center employee or two in the office space. The District will have an office and storage in the Field House for its purposes.

We do not anticipate additional burden on utilities on the surrounding neighborhood. We are still processing the recommendation of the traffic study. If there is a need for such improvements, they would be project expenses.

The City of Brecksville filed the wetlands mitigation documents in February 2019. They are still under review with the Army Corp of Engineers and OEPA.

Early designs did have a connector road between the two properties. However, the City of Brecksville is taking responsibility for the connector road development which they may perform with their own workers. Again, The City is responsible for the connector.

We are hopeful that construction will start in late October 2019. However, that start date is subject to the wetlands reviews. Pending construction starts in October 2019, the school would open in August 2021.

Relative to floor plans, they have been presented to the public during board meetings, however, we also believe that making them generally available
is a safety and security issue. If you would like to see them, that can be arranged.

Thank you for your continued support of the BBHCSD!

We hope that these answers provide sufficient information and even more insights to the questions regarding this project. The District will continue hosting public meetings, posting information and remaining open and transparent regarding this milestone endeavor for the Brecksville-Broadview Heights City Schools Community.

www.bbhcsd.org	Connect with us!	@bbhcsd

Brecksville Broadview Heights City School District
6638 Mill Road Brecksville, Ohio 44141

Superintendent of Schools Joelle Magyar magyarj@bbhcsd.org

Treasurer Jeffrey C. Hall hallj@bbhcsd.org

Board of Education Kathleen Mack, President mackk@bbhcsd.org

Mark Dosen, Vice President dosenm@bbhcsd.org

Michael Ziegler, Member zieglerm@bbhcsd.org

Ellen Kramer, Member kramere@bbhcsd.org

Fred Pedersen, Member pedersenf@bbhcsd.org

BUILDING SPOTLIGHT:Central School

For more than a Century, Central School has been an Integral Part of the BBHCSD

The Brecksville-Broadview Heights City Schools bids a final farewell to Central School at the close of the 2018-2019 School Year amidst a significant transition plan that is
Central School will close at the end
underway to prepare for the opening of the new PreK-5 elementary building in the future. The District, in partnership with the Central School PSO and the City of Brecksville, has planned a number of events to commemorate this iconic landmark in our community. On Thursday, May 30, 2019, the last day of school in the District, a “Spotlight Central School” ceremony will take place involving the entire school where current and former students will be invited to speak about how much Central
of the 2018-2019 School Year
School means to the community. Special music and other components are being planned. Finally,
between the days of Friday, June 28th and Sunday, June 30th, a Community Open House will take place during the City of Brecksville’s Home Days weekend, when the building will be open to the public. A special cookout will be held while
everyone will have the chance to see the building one last time. These special events and activities are designed to say a special goodbye to a landmark building that
has served so many individuals, and one which will remain forever etched in our community’s collective hearts. Thank you to everyone who has expressed their
words of heartfelt emotion and love for the iconic structure that has been endeared	Thank you to the dedicated students and in our community for so long.                                                                                                                             staff over the generations!

www.bbhcsd.org	Connect with us!	@bbhcsd