Troy school groundbreaking celebrates start of several new facilities

TROY — The pouring rain didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of Troy City Schools supporters as the district held a groundbreaking Thursday for a new elementary school on the site of Hook Elementary School.

The symbolic event celebrated the coming construction of three new elementary schools, one new intermediate school and an update to Troy High School. The buildings will be the first new ones in the district since the Troy Junior High School construction in 1972. School leaders said the average age of current buildings is around 85 years.

The initial construction will place a foundation for the future of the district, said Superintendent Chris Piper.

He described the groundbreaking day as one “full of hope, dreams and gratitude.” The best days for the schools, and the community, are yet to come, Piper said.

“We gather here today not just to move earth but to move hearts and lay the foundation for the future of the Troy City Schools and more importantly for the future of every child who walk through the doors of these new school buildings,” Piper said.

Board of Education Theresa Packard thanked everyone who supported the project. She and fellow board members donned hard hats and participated in a ceremonial turning of ground near the site where the new school will be built on the Hook property.

The construction project follows district voter approval in November 2023 of a bond issue to raise $154 million for construction projects. The four new buildings will replace seven older ones, with construction intended to increase efficiency and allow more staff collaboration, among other benefits.

A four-phase project is planned to start with the Hook and Cookson elementary school sites, followed by the south middle school and an elementary school off Ohio 718; a high school update project; and systemwide purchase of furnishings and related needs.

The district is working on the projects with Ruetschle Architects and the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission.

The North (Hook site) and East (Cookson site) buildings are scheduled for completion in December of 2026, with students starting at those two schools in January 2027.

The West (near Concord) and South (on Swailes) buildings will be completed in the summer of 2027 in time for the 2027-28 school year.

The high school HVAC project will be completed in the summer of 2027 in time for the 2027-28 school year.

For more information on the district’s construction plans, visit www.troy.k12.oh.us.

Contact this contributing writer at nancykburr@aol.com