January 2024 Update

Construction work is progressing at the Indianola campus! The second and third floors have been drywalled and finishing work has begun. The former auditorium has been prepared for a new floor and exterior work on the building, chimney and parking areas is underway.

In partnership with the city of Columbus, renovations to 19th and 20th avenues are planned for better traffic flow and building access.

Metro is excited for a collaboration with Nationwide Children's Hospital that will allow us to host a Close to Home Clinic at the school, offering health care services to Metro families and the surrounding community.

September 2023 Update

Below are photos of the current demolition and abatement on the first, second and third floors of the Indianola building (in order from left to right).

August 2023 Update

Metro administration was thrilled to present a virtual groundbreaking ceremony on August 30 to celebrate the expansion of the Indianola site. Families were invited to witness the virtual groundbreaking ceremony and donors, business partners and community members joined administrators by turning over personal soil packets to represent the collective involvement in the project's journey.

Visit our Metro@Indianola Groundbreaking page to watch a special video and read more!

September 2022 Update

The first “construction" project at the Indianola building is set to begin October 1, 2022.  This will be an early abatement and replacement of the roof.  Beyond this first package, most of the construction will occur during 2023-2024.

The design team has been working with user groups to refine some of the initial proposed designs in order to ensure that the building will be best suited to the Metro program.  

Metro @ Indianola Community Council

Metro leadership is working with city and community groups to ensure that the area is equipped to handle the added load of a school building before the opening. This includes investigating one way streets, on street parking , street widths and traffic lights.  

The Metro at Indianola Community Council has been established to provide feedback on the direction of the construction project and to inform decisions that may impact the community. The group will meet a minimum of four times a year from 2022 to 2024 to make relevant, ongoing connections within the Indianola community and to establish an authentic presence in the area.

Community Council Members and their Affiliation:

• Wanda Dillard, Co-Chair - Retired, OSU Wexner Medical Center

• Doreen Uhas-Sauer, Co-Chair - University Area Commission

• David Vottero - Clintonville Area Commission

• Lair Marin Marcum - Hispanic Chamber of Columbus

• Trudy Bartley - Associate Vice President, Local Government & Community Relations at OSU

• Beth Necamp - Executive Director of Community & Civic Engagement, OSU Wexner Medical Center

• Jackiethia Butsch - Sr. Outreach Coordinator Community & Civic Engagement, OSU Wexner Medical

  Center

• Zach Davidson - Legislative Aide, Columbus City Council

• Wes Hall - Vice President Philanthropy & Education, Battelle

• Meka Pace - Superintendent, Metro Schools

• Anthony Alston - Director of External Affairs, Metro Schools

February 2022 Update

Planning is underway on the Indianola renovation project. A team of teachers, parents and administrators took part in meetings with the architectural engineering firm, Moody Nolan, to determine the physical spaces needed in the building and new paces that will allow us to extend programming in the future. The Construction Management Firm has also been secured and should be onboard in March. 

OFCC News Release - July 2021

On July 8, the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission (OFCC) approved more than $242 million in state funding for nine school  construction projects; the list includes Metro's upcoming renovation of the former Indianola Middle School for future 6-12 expansion. Combined with $208 million in local funding, these projects represent more than $450 million in public construction work.

“We are pleased to support these local projects that will provide area students with an upgraded school environment and  new learning opportunities,” said Governor DeWine. “Today’s OFCC action will continue to move education forward for many students throughout Ohio.”

"When it comes to student learning, school facilities matter," said OFCC Executive Director Cheryl J. Lyman. “These schools will reflect the best practices in design and construction.”

Funding awards are contingent upon State Controlling Board approval. All districts must raise the local share for their project.  Metro received approval for a $14,443,571 state share and $14,443,571 local share.

Metro is participating in the state’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) School Facilities Assistance Program. This program provides funding to STEM schools in constructing, reconstructing, repairing, or making additions to classroom facilities. 

About OFCC  The Ohio Facilities Construction Commission oversees capital projects undertaken by state agencies and state-supported institutions of higher education; manages Ohio's school facility programs which provide support for the construction and renovation  of public K-12 schools; and administers the funding for community-based cultural and sports facilities projects.

May 2021 News Article: Columbus Business First May 2021

September 8, 2023 Update

Due to an unforeseen delay in final inspections of the middle school project, Metro administrators made the difficult decision to move middle school classes to virtual for Sept. 11 & 12. Students will meet with their Advisory groups on Monday and will meet in their academic classes Tuesday following the schedule below:

• 8:15 - Morning Announcements

• 8:30 - 9:25am 1st Period

• 9:30 - 10:25am 2nd Period

• 10:30 - 11:25am 3rd Period

• 11:30 - 12:00pm Lunch Break

• 12:00 - 12:55pm 5th Period

• 1:00 - 1:55pm 6th Period

On Wednesday, Sept. 13, middle school students will report for classes in person; we will use the high school classrooms. High schools students will remain home and log in for classes online using the virtual day schedule below:

• 8:20am - Morning Announcements

• 8:30 - 9:40am 1st Period

• 9:45 - 10:55am 2nd Period

• 10:55 - 11:30am Lunch Break

• 11:30 - 12:40pm 3rd Period

• 12:45 - 2:00pm 4th Period

We hope to have clearance to occupy the middle school and resume regular on-site classes for all students by Thursday, Sept. 14.

August 2023 Update

The middle school construction project remained on schedule throughout summer and will be complete by the end August, just in time for the start of school! Special thanks to construction team for their work!

To allow middle school staff time to move into their new classrooms, we will be sharing the high school space for the first week of September, with students reporting as follows:

• Sept. 5 & 6 - only High School students report for Advisory days (full days of school from 8:00am-2:30pm).

• Sept. 7 & 8 - only Middle School students will report for Advisory days (full days of school from 8:00am-2:30pm) on the high school side.

• Sept. 11 - Middle school classrooms ready for use! Academic classes begin; all students report.

January 2023 Update

The addition of classroom walls in the middle school begins May 15. To accommodate construction, there will be changes to the May calendar as follows:

• May 10: High School in person, Middle School Virtual

• May 11 & 12: Asynchronous days for students (work from home on assignments posted to Schoology). Packing/work days for staff

• May 15: Construction begins

• May 15, 17, 19: Middle School in person, High School Virtual

• May 16, 18: High School in person, Middle School Virtual

• May 22-23: High School final exams in person, Middle School classes virtual

• May 24-25: HS Roundtables/Gateways in person, M.S. Roundtables virtual (by appointment)

You can download a printable copy of the May calendar here.

October 2022 Update

The start date for the middle school wall construction is moving from November 2022 to May 2023 due to permit delays with the state and anticipated supply chain issues. The May start date will allow us to continue in-person instruction for the balance of the school year. Based on the timeline received from the construction manager, we will share any hybrid plans for spring (if needed) or make adjustments to the school calendar to ensure the best learning environment for students.

September 2022 Update

Metro Middle school will be undergoing construction updates from November 2022 to January 2023. The new construction will build out floor to ceiling walls and a new HVAC and sprinkler configuration on the middle school side of the building at Kenny Road.  

Final drawings of the new space have been presented to the city for permitting. Once approved, the team will begin to purchase items that have been hard to acquire due to supply chain issues and construction demand heightened  during the 2020 pandemic. 

Construction is set to begin November 1, 2022.

Plan submitted for approval:

August 2022 Update

Metro Middle School is excited to announce that the current layout of cubicle dividers will be replaced with classroom walls during fall/winter of 2022.

The work scheduled in the middle school will greatly improve the learning environment by reworking the HVAC system and adding full walls. This will allow teachers to increase active learning without the worry of disrupting neighboring classrooms.

School leaders worked diligently to design a plan for the active construction period (Nov-Jan ) that was least disruptive to learning. This included alternate schedules, swing spaces for classes (locations outside the Metro building), and hybrid options. Also considered were time restrictions on the use of funding, schedules of the firms assisting with the project, and natural breaks on the school calendar.

Superintendent Meka Pace hosted a meeting with Metro families in August of 2022 to discuss the construction project and the current plan to accommodate learning. The hybrid option presented will have middle school students on site Mon/Wed/Fri and virtual Tues/Thurs. High school students will be on site Tues/Thurs and virtual Mon/Wed/Fri. Sixth grade families will have the option of sending students on site daily and there will be provision for high school students taking college classes who need space to work at Metro when not on the OSU campus.

Parents unable to attend the meeting can review the PowerPoint presentation here, which includes the new classroom layout.

Input from families is welcome as the project timeline approaches. Parents/guardians interested in serving on a parent/staff council to research alternate sites or who have ideas to share with administration are invited to complete the Metro Middle School Construction survey during August/September.

February 2022 Update

Metro will be using Federal dollars through ARP ESSER funds to build out walls on the middle school side of the building.  In order to do this, both the HVAC and the sprinkler systems must be reconfigured. The timing is not ideal, but if all other factors align as needed, we will move forward with the project. Changes in the timing may be made based on availability of supplies and schedules of firms working on the design and construction.

We have been working with our firms to get a timeline that is the least disruptive to the educational process as possible.  A fourth month window is needed and we are actively working on options. The original plan is to have work begin May 1 and end late August/early September. We are weighing all options, including hybrid cohorts or virtual school, as well as ways to end the school year face to face using swing space in the vicinity.  

Update: The May-August construction window was not possible due to contractor schedules and the inability to keep students in person for the end of the 2021-22 school year and the start of the 2022-21 school year - times it would be most disruptive to have students working online. Other options will be considered that are least disruptive to our regular schedule.