The groundbreaking ceremony for the New Pleasant Ridge School was held on November 30, 2006. This 75,310-square-foot school, located at 5945 Montgomery Road in Pleasant Ridge, will house 550 students. Construction is slated to be completed Summer 2008.
This project is very special because of all the collaborative planning that has taken place between the Pleasant Ridge, Ridgewood, Amberley Village, Golf Manor, Kennedy Heights, Silverton and Columbia Township communities. This may be the first time there has been such an investment on behalf of so many communities into planning a single school.
"It will be because of this large-scale investment of time, talents and creative ideas that Pleasant Ridge School becomes one of the most celebrated schools in the Cincinnati Public School District," Superintendent Rosa Blackwell said.
Several years ago, members of these close-knit communities got together to talk about what they wanted in a neighborhood elementary school. Among the first items on the list was a Montessori program. The new Pleasant Ridge School will be the first neighborhood Montessori school in the Cincinnati Public School District. Community members signed petitions and lobbied Board members to get it done.
This state-of-the-art facility will include 990-square-foot classrooms specially designed for Montessori instruction. Groups of four classrooms will surround extended learning areas — giving teachers added space for small group activities, independent research, technology-supported instruction and other uses.
The new Pleasant Ridge School also is the first public school in Ohio to be certified under the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) program, and will serve as a learning tool for students as they discover the importance of environmentally responsible construction. Blackwell stated, "Getting this certification means that we are creating a school that reduces energy costs, respects the global environment and creates a healthier indoor environment for our students and staff."
Steed Hammond Paul + DH Architects helped make that happen by incorporating north and south facing windows that will allow for ample natural light in the building design. Students will be able to monitor the school's energy usage thanks to large windows that will allow them to see into the mechanical room from the main corridor.
It is because of the community's commitment to green design that Cincinnati Public Schools now encourages all of its contractors to incorporate "green" features into all of its new and renovated schools.
"It is easy to see that, as a united community, you all put a lot of thought and passion into the design of the future Pleasant Ridge School. We expect this school to be among the crown jewels of the district," Blackwell said.
Students moved August 2005 to 4324 Homer Avenue in Madisonville, the former Bramble School, until their new building is completed.