Fairfield has chosen its site for a new elementary school to be across from the high school, instead of on land in Fairfield Township.
The school district already owns the property proposed as the site of the new construction. The elementary school will actually be on high school grounds, but the exact spot has not been decided
The district will save about $2m as a result of this. Purchasing new property would have cost $1m, and constructing a pedestrian bridge to connect the two schools would have added another $1m to the total cost of the project. The school district has been negotiating over different pieces of property for 13 months, but every site had an issue that put it above the budget; some were too expensive, while others had utility, topographical, or layout problems.
The school district will raze the Freshman and Central Elementary schools. The new school will be the sixth elementary school located in the district, and all six will be reworked so they can accommodate grades K-5. It is expected that the new schools will be open in time for the school year 2017-2018.
Funding for the project comes partly from the state, but mostly from a bond issue Fairfield voters approved last May.
School board officials could work with brochure printers to create a booklet for the district's residents, outlining the changes and describing the new construction.
