Since the 1990s, we have completed several projects for Ohio County Schools, totaling over $100 million, including renovations, new additions, Career & Technical Education spaces, auto repair shop renovations, major infrastructure projects, sports and athletics, as well as their 10-year Comprehensive Educational Facilities Plans.

For the May 8, 2018 election, McKinley completed Pre-Bond Services, which led to the successful bond passage by 62%. This bond call results from the CEFP 2010-2020 that we developed. The bond will improve all the facilities within Ohio County Schools, including 13 school renovations (18 total projects). The bond total was $42.2 million, and when combined with funding from the School Building Authority and through an energy-saving improvements program funding total will be over $75 million. Most of the school received classroom renovations/additions, windows and doors, safety and security upgrades, HVAC and lighting upgrades, code compliance, and more. There are also bleacher replacements, cafeteria additions, roofs, fire alarms, ADA improvements, bus/drop-off upgrades, and more.

Many improvements were for Wheeling Park High School, a 310,000 SF building initially constructed in 1975. The school saw $22 million in upgrades due to the bond’s passage. The additions and renovations took place over 2 years, with a fully occupied and functional student body.

McKinley addressed some of the county’s concerns at the school, focused on student security and building utilization, and updated some areas of the original building. One of the focus areas was the construction of a new main building entrance with a security vestibule and a new administration office to control access to visitors to the building. The new administration office provides better integration between the main office, guidance counselors, and student services.

The interior of the building underwent various areas of renovation. The original music and science departments were completely renovated to current standards and equipment.

An area of significant improvement was the original Library/Media Center; the renovated 13,000 SF area is now their Innovative Learning Center, where students are encouraged to be creative, collaborate, brainstorm, and create. It’s hands-on, immersive learning. This area includes an updated Maker Space, STEM Lab & Flexible / Group Learning Center that creates various small scale break out “Huddle Spaces” to encourage and facilitate independent and small group study, 3D printers, Crickets, laser printers, heat presses, whiteboard Kiva wall room for brainstorming and collaboration, multimedia greenroom, Presentation Space, and a student engagement conference room. There are VR capabilities with it, too, where students can walk around, visit different sites, and go on trips to other places.

For athletics, there is an addition of a new wrestling practice facility. The mats are laser cut to fit precisely.

All the existing locker rooms were updated to better accommodate the extensive sports program in the county, including new lockers, flooring with logos, individual shower stalls, and more. There are brand new locker rooms dedicated for the swim teams, as well as referee locker rooms for both men and women – more and more referees are female, and need their own changing areas. There is also a training room with a desk for the trainers, a Physical Therapy table, tape tables, ice baths, ice machine, refrigerator, and storage cabinets.

In the gymnasium, we completed bleacher renovations with a custom design that includes “WP” for their school name.

The Overlook – aptly named for it has a great view of the dramatic cascading hillside of the park – a new school store, sells everything a student (and Alumni) needs to be a Park Patriot, including shirts, hoodies, and more. Some of the Patriot apparel is even designed by the students.