On Tuesday, students will return to class in North Olmsted. And for those in high school and middle school, they will have new state-of-the-art campuses.
The two schools were built at a cost of $90 million, with $10 million of that coming from the state.
“People are awestruck at first,” said Principal Zach Weagley, who is also new.
Built of red brick, the structures look more like liberal arts colleges. Columns line the cafeterias.
There is a cafe in the library that could double as a Starbucks and unique seating in the hallways.
“Our students are comfortable, they’re engaged,” Weagley said. “That’s what we’re going for.”
Yet administrators could not ignore new realities, either, and built with security in mind.
PHOTOS | Inside North Olmsted's new high school
More than 190 cameras fill the school and are in every classroom. North Olmsted Police can access them all.
New this year, students and faculty will also be wearing lanyards with their ID’s, which they will use to get into buildings and through corridors.
Police will have those lanyards too.
Another change is the placement of the guidance office near the front door. Four counselors and a social worker will staff it.
“Every student in our high school is going to have an adult they can trust,” Weagley said. “I think that’s the biggest safety feature, is just our people and those resources.”
More than 1,200 students will be going to the high school this fall. Administrators say some families decided to transfer kids from other schools when they got a look and saw all that was happening.