By Sue Kiesewetter
The Cincinnati Enquirer

HAMILTON - Construction will begin soon on the first new school to be built here in nearly half a century.

Groundbreaking for a building to house Hamilton's freshmen students is set for 1:30 p.m. Thursday at NW Washington Boulevard and West Elkton Road. U.S. Rep. John Boehner, R-West Chester, and Hamilton Mayor Donald Ryan are among those planning to attend.

The $18 million project is part of a 10-year, $176 million facilities plan through a joint partnership with the Ohio School Facilities Commission, which will pay 59 percent of the cost.

IF YOU GO

What: Groundbreaking for Hamilton Freshman School When: 1:30 p.m. Thursday Where: At NW Washington Blvd. and West Elkton Road. Program: Speakers include Superintendent Janet Baker, Hamilton Mayor Don Ryan, Hamilton Chamber of Commerce President Ken Craig, and Principal Dennis Malone. The Hamilton High School Pep Band will play. Student representatives from each junior high will also participate in ceremonies.

The plan calls for replacing 14 aging elementary schools with nine new buildings, along with renovating and expanding Hamilton High, Wilson and Garfield junior high schools.

The freshman school is the first new school to be built since 1959 when Taft and Garfield high schools - now Hamilton High and Garfield Junior High - opened, said Robert Hancock, district treasurer.

The school will sit on 30 acres less than a mile from Hamilton High School. It will be large enough for 716 students but designed so wings can be added, said spokeswoman Joni Copas.

"This building is going to be built to serve children in Hamilton for 50 to 60 years," said Dennis Malone, who will become principal of the freshman school when it opens in 2004. "We've gotten input on its design from potential teachers from three (junior high) buildings."

When the school opens, freshmen will move from the district's three junior highs to the freshman school. Garfield and Wilson will house seventh- and eighth-graders while George Washington closes.

The school will have an 800-seat gymnasium and an "auditeria" that will be used as a cafeteria and auditorium. Both the gymnasium and auditeria will have entrances so academic wings can be locked when not in use. Five science rooms will be grouped in a central location and there will be two, two-story academic wings, Ms. Copas said.

"The next major decisions will be made once we've identified who our staff will be," Mr. Malone said. "We'll have to decide if we want to go with a team concept or arrange rooms by departments. We can do either with the building design."