Ribbon-cutting for new school set for Wednesday

A ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for Dec. 13 at 4:30 p.m. at the Oak Harbor Intermediate School gymnasium to mark the completion of the school’s construction.
The 45,000-square-foot addition is located behind the R.C. Waters School, at 250 N. Locust St., Oak Harbor.
The addition includes 16 classrooms as well as a music/band room, gymnasium, special education facilities, and a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) room.
Superintendent Cathy Bergman said the addition cost approximately $14 million and is being funded without any additional property tax millage or a bond issue.
The Intermediate School will accommodate grades four, five, and six.
Teachers will begin moving into the new school on Dec. 14 and students will receive a tour on Dec. 15, Sarah Moore, administrative services coordinator for the Benton-Carroll-Salem School District, said.
Classes will start at the new school on Jan. 4 when students return from their winter break, she said.
Seventh grade students began attending classes at Oak Harbor High School at the start of this school year.
With the opening of the Intermediate School, the Middle School is being closed.
A smaller student population allowed the district to make the move as the school board weighed what to do with the aging Middle School building that had once been the district’s high school.
In 2018, the school board studied the possible replacement of the heating, electrical, and plumbing systems at the Middle School and received estimates ranging from $9-$15 million, which figured heavily in the decision to vacate the building.
The district has also embarked on a multi-year plan for the renovation of the existing R.C. Waters elementary building.
A new heating/cooling system was completed in August prior to the start of the 2023-24 school year.