Arlington's new school taking shape

ARLINGTON — Little by little, a new school is taking shape in Arlington. The school is set to open at the start of the 2026-27 school year. Craig Durliat, president of the school board, said they have set out to create something that will last. The committee devoted to the project is called "Leave a Legacy," and their goal is to create a school that will benefit the children of Arlington beyond the committee members' lifetimes. "We wanted to build a building for the next 100 years," he said. Voters approved a levy to fund the new building in November 2022. The district, which educates around 650 children in grades K-12, had attempted several times previously to pass a levy. Durliat, whose children are now grown, has remained on the board throughout this effort and said he is determined to see this through. These days, he walks the site about once a week, watching it change over time. These changes are happening both indoors and out throughout the winter, as the site has been sealed and heated. Safety is paramount in the new design. Durliat pointed out that Ohio 68 is not the safest place to have a school. As one example, he said if a suspect in a crime flees Findlay and is chased by police, that chase would speed right past the school. With this in mind, the new school cannot be directly accessed from the highway, with the exception of athletics. A single point of entry for the public is located off of Maple Drive. Bus drivers will enter the back way off of Powell Drive. This entrance will also be used by teachers and staff, as well as those coming to school in the evening for activities or performances. "I'm very excited about the improvement in safety," Durliat said. The building is turned at an angle to face the center of town. "We wanted to show that this school appreciates the village," Durliat said. The new school will be on one level, with the high school and junior high on one side and the elementary school on the other. The cafeteria and administrative area are in the middle, so all grades can access them. The district is also making improvements to athletic spaces as part of the project, including constructing a new softball diamond and track and replacing the press box, stands and concession area around the football field. They are creating a playground for the younger children and a green space for high school students. A separate building will house vocational agriculture and industrial arts. The gymnasium will have more seating than the previous one. Durliat said basketball games, as well as football games, tend to be well attended. Some of the elementary grades have more than 50 students and are split into two or three classes. Designing for upper elementary grades may look different than for the younger children – for example, grades 3-5 have lockers for their belongings rather than just hooks to hang their bags. But Durliat said they designed classrooms with some flexibility, keeping in mind that there might be three classes of a particular grade one year and two the next. Classrooms are designed to allow natural light in through windows. Sections of the old school were built in 1923, 1953 and 1992. Durliat said the district has tried to keep it up as best as they can, but over time they experienced facilities issues ranging from leaks in the roof to problems with the septic system, making it clear the time had come for a new school. A groundbreaking was held in May 2024 and the first masonry block was laid in February 2025. The masonry block and brick was delivered and installed from February through early October, at which point the project transitioned from the masonry crew to the drywall and flooring teams, painters and others. Plumbing, electrical and HVAC work has been going on throughout. Robertson Construction is the construction manager, and Fanning Howey is the architect. Durliat said everyone involved in the project has been eager to collaborate. Some teams have even gone out of their way to help. The company paving the parking lot was not supposed to come until spring, but made time late in the fall to come out early. Durliat said the paving is helping the crews keep the building clean throughout construction, rather than tracking in mud. The new school will open in August with the start of the school year, and teachers should be able to move into their classrooms starting around June. Durliat said they expect to have students playing ball games and running track in the new athletic spaces this spring. Red paint is already incorporated into some hallways, and more of it will be added, to celebrate the mascot, the Red Devils. Students signed a beam that has been incorporated into the building. For the rest of their lives, Durliat said, they will know that their signatures are there in the school they once attended.