“We have a lot of interest in this and people coming from out of town that may want to do this, they’ll have the opportunity to go to both buildings then and not have to make two trips,” said district spokeswoman Janine Corbett. “The three-hour time frame should give them plenty of time.”
Each building will feature not just a tour, but also a chance to peruse artifacts, photographs and other items.
The Farewell Tour committee at C. F. Holliday will offer T-shirts for sale and provide a signup sheet for anyone who would like a brick from the school following its demolition. Walter Shade teacher Jessica Thompson is assembling pictures from alumni and former staff to display during the Farewell Tour for that school. Those who wish to share photos from their time at Walter Shade to be included in a display of the the building’s history may send them to jthompson@wcsd.k12.oh.us.
Constructed in 1954, the current Walter Shade ECC is a 57,988-square-foot building for pre-K through kindergarten. C.F. Holliday is 50,875-square-foot building constructed in 1950 and one of of three elementary schools housing first through fifth grades. An addition to the facility was completed in 1957.
Several days before the farewell, the district will ask community members, staff, students and alumni to suggest naming for the interior spaces at the new 94,854-square foot West Carrollton Early Childhood Center and the 70,840-square-foot West Carrollton Intermediate School. That meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Community Room at the High School.
The naming committee, which is headed by school board members Joe Cox and Nate Mundy, will be selecting names to honor the history of the school district, renaming conference rooms, cafeterias, auditoriums, media centers and other spaces, Corbett said.
“They want to preserve some of the history … and get some new names because there’s so many people that can be honored,” she said.
The early childhood center will house preschool through 1st grade and the intermediate school will house students in 5th and 6th grades. The new buildings are a result of the community passing a Building Bond Issue in November 2019.
The first phase of construction of both buildings remains on schedule ahead of an August opening for the 2022-23 school year, district officials said.
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