Facility Focus
Vol. 2, Issue 2 (October, 2024)
Approximately 750,000 square feet of academic facilities. 200 acres of land. One goal: Support an "ALite" education for each student in the Avon Lake City School District.
What's going on in our schools from a facilities standpoint? What projects are we working on? What challenges do we face? What opportunities exist? Find all the facilities news that's fit to print right here in our quarterly newsletter!
Physical Measures + Great Culture = Safe Students and Staff
The district has conducted two safety and security assessments in conjunction with the Ohio School Safety Center / Ohio Homeland Security since 2019, in addition to its own annual internal reviews. Those assessments do not constitute public records under Ohio Revised Code due to their sensitive nature, but be assured that the district has worked diligently to implement recommendations and observations made as a result of the assessments.
Everything from exterior access controls, to door replacement (see picture - new security door on the Eastview office area), to classroom-level security devices, have been implemented on all of our campuses in recent years - and a significant number of improvements have been completed, all or in part, through the use of safety and security grant funding that the district has aggressively pursued.
Physical improvements are good, but perhaps the most important way we ensure that our buildings stay safe is by maintaining a kind, positive, alert building and community culture.
The concept of "leakage," or "the intentional or unintentional revelation by the possible shooter that they intend to carry out an act of violence," is very important, and it can apply to many forms of violent intentions, not just school shootings. Part of any healthy district/building culture of safety is to "see/hear something, say something."
The Avon Lake City Schools uses the Safer Ohio School Tip Line as our reporting system. It is available 24/7/365 via call, text, webform, and mobile app formats. All tips may remain anonymous. Your partnership in helping to keep our schools safe is always valued, and student safety will always be our top priority.
Roofing Projects at Troy and Learwood Nearing Completion
Faced with water intrusion from roof sections at Troy and Learwood that could no longer be repaired, the district made the difficult decision to complete emergency roof projects this summer at those two schools.
At Troy, both roof sections were from 1995, and had been coated in 2019 to extend their life. The leaking was particularly bad in Multipurpose B, a larger room used for music instruction (see picture).
At Learwood, the four sections renovated were from 1993 and 1994, and included the roof over the gym and auditorium (at one point, leaks caused the cancellation of athletic contests) and large sections to the north of the gym, over several classrooms where leaking was very active and was damaging the rooms below.
Both jobs are almost complete. There is some metal work yet to be finished, but all in all we hope to provide a drier indoor fall and winter experience for students than in recent years!
It should be noted that these were budget solutions, and do not represent a permanent solution to roofing issues at either building. At Learwood in particular, several large sections remain from the mid-1980s that will require attention soon.
LED Lighting Project is Complete
According to a financial analysis conducted by Gardiner last spring, it is projected that the district will save $103,305 annually as a result of energy savings, resulting in a payback period of approximately 5 years for completing the project. The district has also received a direct rebate from FirstEnergy in the amount of $19,632.82 as part of an incentive program for schools to implement energy efficient solutions.
We had previously converted the main gym (2021), auxiliary gym (2021), PAC house lighting (2022), and multipurpose room (2023) spaces at the high school to LEDs, so it was very satisfying to complete the remainder of the building and start to realize even more savings, with the added benefit of brighter lighting in classrooms, hallways, and large group spaces.
Work Continues on New Tennis and Pickleball Facility for Students and the Public
Following a significant amount of time studying the condition of our tennis courts (and especially samples from underneath the courts), we decided on a replacement and improvement option that was then factored into the 5-year forecast.
When completed, the Avon Lake High School tennis facility will consist of four standalone tennis courts, four tennis courts that will also be lined for two pickleball courts each, and two standalone pickleball courts.
We have entered into an MOU with the City of Avon Lake wherein they are fully covering the cost of the standalone pickleball courts, as well as the cost of running electricity to the facility (through some grant money available to them) in an attempt to proactively plan for potential future electrical needs at the site. We are so thankful to the City for their partnership on this project.
We look forward to our tennis teams (congrats to our SWC champion girls!) and our high school pickleball club playing and competing on the courts in 2025!
Below, please find links to some informational videos about the courts. All segments have now been added to the newsletter!
