District superintendent Mindy McCarty-Stewart said the estimated cost to renovate Van Buren Middle School is $32.6 million. Keeping it “warm, safe and dry” for about five years, the length of time needed for a new middle school building, the district would need to invest about $2.8 million for needs such as a new roof and structural repairs.
“This immediate cost is a key reason the consolidation is being done now,” McCarty-Stewart said.
She noted that by closing Van Buren, the district would save a little less than $1 million per year, for a total of about $4.9 million over five years in daily operations costs.
The district has already announced it is eligible to get about 43% of the cost to build new school buildings from the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission, a state agency that provides funds to districts to build new buildings.
The first segment of the project, which includes renovations to the high school and a new middle school building, is expected to cost $222 million, with a local share of less than $163 million. The state will kick in about $159 million.
Generally, OFCC funds come with a percentage the community is expected to chip in through a bond levy. Kettering has not yet placed such a levy on the ballot, but a board of education meeting on Nov. 18 is expected to finalize the ballot language before the May 2026 election.
The estimated cost of the bond, according to Kettering Schools, is roughly $210 per $100,000 in property valuation per year, with some relief offered for qualifying seniors or those with disabilities.
The district says there is enough space to host all Kettering middle school students at KMS, and they do not expect staff layoffs. Changes in staffing are expected to be achieved through retirements and not replacing staff who leave.
No additional bus drivers are expected to be needed for the change either, according to the district.
“Just as there will be economies of scope in many other areas with the merger of the two schools, so too, will we be able to combine riders on existing buses and provide transportation to any student who is eligible using our existing buses and drivers/aides,” said McCarty-Stewart.
Van Buren is expected to be demolished after it is no longer in use. The district has previously suggested that the land will be used for sports fields.
