Pictured on Oct. 21 in the new bus garage during the ribbon cutting for 750 McClain Ave. are the Greenfield school district and Elford Construction people involved in the project. The group is bookended by Jamie Wheeler, executive director of the Highland County Chamber of Commerce, on the left and Highland County Economic Development Director Julie Bolender on the right.
Angela Shepherd | For The Times-Gazette
Following the successful open house where the community truly did show up to see the new multi-purpose facility at the practice field, which is now McClain Ave. Complex at 750 McClain Ave., the regular school board meeting was held that, along with other businesses, included a ribbon cutting and recognition of those who have been integral to the project.
The multi-purpose facility at the practice field will very soon be home to the transportation and maintenance departments. It will also support the athletics and band programs, the latter of which will now have water and restroom access on site, something that they have not had in the years the football team and marching band have used the practice field. The new facility allows for much-needed storage space and the project also provides improved field conditions, renovated basketball courts, sidewalks, and parking spaces.
The old bus garage, which has recently undergone some “structural TLC,” superintendent Quincey Gray said, will be converted to an athletic facility to better serve athletics needs. Once the transportation department is moved out of the old bus garage, a thorough cleaning will begin there and then the alterations will be done that are needed to prepare the facility for use by the athletic department. The building will still house the locker room, but will also be used for wrestling and strength training.
During the school board meeting, and as a slideshow ran on a big screen looping photographs of the various stages of the project starting with the groundbreaking in March of 2023, Gray and board members recognized those who have had a big hand in getting from plans on paper to those first bits of turned dirt last year to the facility and grounds that today are just a punch list away from completion. Those recognized were Doug Karnes of McCarty Associates, Elford Construction’s Matt Patton, Ron Robles, Amy Kincaid, Jamie Fields, and Brian Lee, and with the Greenfield school district Jeff Pence, Tim Bolender, Jesse Mitchell, Bradley George, Nathan Cook, and Craig Wise.
Following this recognition, everyone gathered in the bus garage for the ribbon-cutting.
In other meeting business, district treasurer Brad Barber provided information regarding items on the consent agenda, which included the purchase of a new bus and the purchase of a lift for the new bus garage. Those items were approved by the board.
Other consent agenda items approved by the board included that McCarty Associates will design the science lab renovation project, accepting the resignation of physical education teacher Brian Cory at the end of the school year for the purposes of retirement, and approving the McClain FFA trip to the national convention in Indianapolis this week.
In a report from J.V.S. Delegate Spencer Bradley, Gray said four McClain students have been highlighted in Laurel Oaks’ student spotlight for October. Those students are Elias Dennen, Paul Foreman, Wyatt Page, and Koby Roy.
Gray also included in her report that there is no school on Friday, Nov. 1, parent-teacher conferences are Nov. 6-7, and the fall play will be presented in the McClain auditorium on Nov. 8 and 9.
Employment recommendations approved by the board were: Melissa Cornell – aide substitute; Brian Beechler – school district security substitute; Katherine Bowman – aide, cafeteria, secretary substitute; Jennifer Bunner – custodial substitute; Katelynn Davidson – aide, cafeteria, custodial substitute; Jon Goddard – aide substitute; Andrea McKeever – aide, cafeteria, secretary substitute; Beth Pennington – secretary substitute; Amber Pryor – aide, cafeteria, secretary substitute; Robert Warden – aide substitute; Emma Gall – social studies department leader half year; John Wilson – social studies department leader half year; Nate Fabin – dramatics assistant; and Mark Eselgroth – dramatics assistant.
The next regular meeting of the Greenfield Exempted Village School District is scheduled for Nov. 18 at 7 p.m. in the gymnasium of Greenfield Middle School. For information and updates, go to the district website at greenfield.k12.oh.us or go to the district’s social media pages. The individual buildings also have Facebook pages. The district’s central office may be reached by calling 937-981-2152.
