MASON CITY SCHOOLS
MMS Renovation Key Component of Significant 20 Year Plan to Educate Students in High Quality Schools
T
he transformation of Mason Middle School is complete. On August 20, 2019, MMS students and staff will enter what feels like a brand new school—and one that represents a significant portion of a plan put into motion 20 years ago. In 2001, the Mason Board of Education joined the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission’s Expedited Local Partnership Program, which was created from state tobacco settlement funds. That decision charted a course that ensured Mason’s students would benefit from safe, innovative, high-quality learning environments—just in time. “Deciding to enter the OFCC pool for an opportunity to earn future dollars from the State Tobacco Settlement Fund was not an easy decision. It was a carefully measured risk with the potential for great reward. We had the opportunity to earn
20 YEAR MASON CITY SCHOOLS MASTER FACILITIES PLAN TIMELINE
1999 Community Dialogs prefer one high school
30 CenterPoint Summer 2019
back 25 cents for every dollar spent on future building projects. It was the perfect timing for Mason. Dr. Kevin Bright, our superintendent in 1999, knew we had a critical decision to make as a community. So together with the Board we went to the community to ask if we should either split the district and build two new high schools or keep the district together with one large high school. Community forums were held and the decision was to build one large high school. After the high school project, we needed more space at Mason Intermediate and then had to build the Early Childhood Center,” explains former School Board Member Marianne Culbertson. “Former treasurer Dick Gardner provided financial guidance through most of those years, and today we’re reaping the rewards.” Over the last 18 years, Boards of Education and three superintendents and treasurers reaffirmed this commitment.
2000 Voters approve 6.78 mil bond issue to build new MHS by 53%
2001 2002 School Board MHS Opens joins OFCC to recoup state tobacco settlement funds for facility projects
In 2013, Mason became eligible to receive funding from OFCC for future facility projects because of the construction and renovation projects the district completed for MHS, MECC, and MI. The district received $34 million, or roughly 80 percent of the funding for these projects, from the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission—offsetting the cost for needed facility improvements. “It is such an exciting time to be learning in Mason. As we complete this important stage of our Master Facilities Plan, we thank all of the community members and leaders who helped us get to this point. Moving forward, we’re challenging ourselves to ReIMAGINE learning—and ways that we can ensure that big schools feel small so that each student feels valued and knows that they matter,” said Jonathan Cooper, superintendent.
2003 Community Dialogs prefer an early childhood center for grades PK-1, and to relieve overcrowding at other elementaries
2004 Voters approve 1.78 mil bond issue to build MECC by 64%
2006 MECC opens