Civil Municipal - Feb 2024

City School District apart, Harrison recounts, “The experiences that are available to our students are second to none. We have opportunities across the board for students to engage in our academic content, which involves more than just sitting in a classroom. We offer real-world experiences. We offer organizations, clubs, and athletic teams that our students are interested in. They can take the skills that they learn in the classroom and apply them to everyday life.” FACILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE In 2022 Brecksville-Broadview Heights City School District celebrated the opening of a brand new 280,000 square foot Pre K to 5 elementary school. “This building replaced three previous elementary buildings, as well as a separate preschool and a separate intermediate school which was grades four and five,” relays Harrison. “We have a beautiful facility that is state of the art. It has amenities all over the place, and it’s the perfect learning environment for our children and our staff. We are very fortunate that our community was willing to support us in that endeavor.” The city of Brecksville was also a valuable partner in the project, participating in a land swap that gave them an old elementary school building, in exchange for land for the new school to be built. “In addition to that elementary building, we have a Fieldhouse, that has a track and four basketball courts in it, that we use during the day for physical education and different school activities. At 4:30 every day, we turn it over to the city. It’s a shared usage agreement, and it’s a great relationship,” he says. This joint venture exemplifies the harmonious partnership between the school district and the city, a relationship that is beneficial to all. In terms of other infrastructure investment, Harrison says the focus moving forward will be on enhancing existing facilities, which include a high school and a middle school. “We’re also taking a hard look at different sustainability initiatives that we can take part in, that we can educate our children on, but also pay back in a good way to our environment,” he says. 162 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 5, ISSUE 02