The North Ridgeville City Board of Education on Oct. 21 heard an update on the district's construction program — including near completion of a new transportation and maintenance center and site preparation for a new high school — and approved a contract amendment to remove and properly dispose of unsuitable soils discovered during site work.

The construction presentation was led by Bill Sherman of Hammond Construction and by Claire Bank of TDA Architecture. Bill Sherman, with Hammond Construction, told the board the transportation and maintenance center on the north side of campus is nearing completion and crews are preparing the high school site. "I'm with Hammond Construction," Sherman said when introducing himself; during his remarks he described the transportation/maintenance center as essentially finished and said the district could occupy the new facility as early as December, with final completion expected in January. He said construction of the new high school is scheduled to begin in early spring — around March — with a target completion in 2028 and demolition of the existing high school to follow in summer or early fall of that year.

The design team reported that design work is wrapping up, that the guaranteed maximum price (GMP) package is under review by Hammond Construction, and that final construction documents for the high school are expected to be issued in early December. Site work completed so far includes rough grading, underground utilities and removal of an existing parking lot; the board was shown aerial images and site overlays illustrating the building footprint and program areas, including a natatorium and academic wings. Presenters also described temporary parking plans: a portion of an overflow student lot will be used as contractor parking and fenced from student areas beginning in February, while staff parking will shift to another lot to free up student spaces.

Board members asked operational questions about public tours of the new transportation/maintenance center and about how bus and staff parking will be managed when portions of the student overflow lot are taken for construction. Presenters said tours are not yet scheduled but will be considered, and they explained that the new transportation and maintenance center will free other on-campus space now used to store buses, which will offset the loss of some overflow parking.

On a separate but related agenda item, the board approved a contract amendment with Hammond Construction to remove and properly dispose of unsuitable soils encountered during site work. Board documents and the presentation stated the additional scope and costs were reviewed and verified by Hammond Construction and the district's design team and will be covered from the project's contingency fund. The amendment passed on a roll-call vote.

During the finance report, a board member who presented the September financials warned of state-level budget actions that could reduce district revenue and said the district could lose "upwards of $30,000,000" under some scenarios. The presenter urged continued advocacy in Columbus and noted a Ways and Means committee action that, if advanced, would reimburse North Ridgeville City Schools about $6.7 million the district otherwise faced losing; the presenter said that committee action was scheduled to go to the full House for consideration the next day.

The board also approved routine consent and human-resources items and accepted a resignation from a regional education board seat, appointing a replacement to serve the remainder of the term.

Votes at a glance
- Approval of meeting minutes (Sept. 2 and Sept. 16, 2025): motion moved and seconded; roll-call approval. Referenced on the record during the consent portion of the meeting.
- Financial report for September 2025: moved by Board Member McCarthy, seconded by Board Member Grigsby; approved by roll-call vote. Discussion included concern about potential statewide funding reductions and a referenced Ways and Means committee reimbursement of approximately $6.7 million advancing to the full House.
- Contract amendment with Hammond Construction for removal and proper disposal of unsuitable soils: motion moved and seconded; approved by roll-call vote. Board documents indicated additional costs will be paid from the project's contingency fund.
- Human-resources items (appointments, resignations, leaves and adjustments): moved and seconded; approved by roll-call vote.
- Acceptance of resignation from the Lorain County educational board representative and appointment to fill the remainder of the 2025 calendar term: moved and seconded; approved by roll-call vote.

What the board said matters
The construction timeline and the board's approval of the soils-removal amendment have practical implications for site sequencing, contractor logistics and short-term campus parking. Board discussion of potential state funding losses and the noted Ways and Means committee action framed the construction update against the district's broader fiscal outlook and the need for continued local advocacy.

The district said it will continue posting project updates to the district website and will return to future board meetings with additional construction reports and documentation, including the negotiated GMP and the high school bid release that will precede the start of building work in the spring.

Ending note: The board's construction update combined technical planning details — schedules, site logistics and document delivery — with near-term contract decisions; the board approved the contractor amendment needed to address soils issues discovered during site preparation and left the larger financing and policy implications to ongoing conversations about state budgeting and local advocacy.