Development for Hilliard's Littlest Learners Kicks Off with Phase 1 of School Plan
Hilliard City Schools will build its new preschool on its Britton-Norwich Learning Campus. The new preschool will be connected to Norwich Elementary School, 4454 Davidson Road, a third-to-fifth grade building.
The Britton building is a Kindergarten-to-second grade building.
The construction of the new preschool is part of Phase 1 of the district’s Master Facilities Plan, which also includes the demolition of, and reconstruction of, Beacon and Ridgewood elementary schools, the repurposing of Brown Elementary School as the district’s third Sixth-Grade building, and construction of a new replacement building for Brown Elementary School. The new preschool will be in addition to the district’s current preschool at 2874 Alton Darby Creek Road.
The first phase of the Master Facilities Plan is funded by the 6.9-mill operating levy and $142 million bond issue Hilliard voters approved in November.
“This location (of the new preschool) will provide a welcoming, accessible space for our youngest learners while keeping them connected to the broader school community,” Hilliard Superintendent David Stewart said.
“While this is an important milestone, we want to emphasize that there is still much work to be done. Our team is carefully considering key factors such as traffic flow, parking, pedestrian safety, playground design, and bell schedules to ensure a safe and efficient environment for students, staff, and families,” Stewart said.
The district is working with the City of Hilliard and the Norwich Township Fire Department to address environmental and safety concerns, ensuring that the project aligns with all regulations and best practices, according to Stewart.
The district’s board of education has selected three companies that will make Phase 1- called “Blueprint for Tomorrow”- a reality.
Fanning Howey is the architectural firm responsible for designing the new schools. In the past, the firm designed Bradley High School - Memorial Middle School and additions to the existing preschool.
Ruscilli Construction will be the construction manager for the projects.
Schorr Architects Inc. will lead several upgrades and improvements at multiple buildings this summer.
They include playground equipment improvements at six elementary schools: Avery, Britton, Crossing, Horizon, J.W. Reason, and Norwich.
The firm will also manage upgrades to security entrances at the district’s three high schools, three middle schools, and Tharp Sixth- Grade school.
“We are excited to work with these outstanding partners to bring our Master Facilities Plan to life. Each company shares our commitment to creating safe, modern, and innovative spaces where our students can learn and thrive,” Stewart said.
In separate but related news…
A district wide email was issued from Hilliard City Schools regarding the developing state budget and the larger school funding formula. In the interest of sharing this process information widely and in full to our readership we reproduce it here in its entirety.
March 12, 2025
Dear Hilliard Staff and Community Members,
Currently, our state legislators are preparing a state budget that will determine whether to fairly fund Ohio schools by completing implementation of the Fair School Funding Plan.
The Ohio House and Senate took a giant step forward for students and schools by enacting the Fair School Funding Plan in 2021. The Fair School Funding Plan was developed by school district leaders and expert practitioners. It translates real student needs into concrete resources by accounting for essential education components like appropriate class sizes, student support services, and educational technology. The formula treats all taxpayers fairly based on their community’s ability to raise local funds.
The implementation of the Fair School Funding Plan formula represents a move toward the equitable and adequate funding of Ohio’s schools. However, for the plan, years 5 and 6 of the implementation must be included in the budget, and base cost inputs must be updated to provide the funding necessary due to inflation. The Governor’s budget, which is now being considered in the House of Representatives, includes the phase-in of years 5 and 6. However, the Governor’s budget does not include an update to base costs, which means that districts would lose money because the funding formula would not account for inflationary increases in base costs.
In addition, the Governor’s budget calls for reductions to “guarantee funding.” This funding guarantees districts do not receive LESS funding than what was received in FY20. While Hilliard has not received this funding in the past, we would, beginning in FY26 under the Governor’s budget, and at the same time that funding would be reduced. Districts can end up on funding guarantees due to declining enrollment, increased local wealth (property values, income), static base cost inputs, or a combination of these factors. When districts lose students but keep prior funding levels, their per-pupil amounts increase above formula calculations. However, the core issue is the asymmetry between the updating of the base cost inputs and updating of the capacity inputs.
Capacity inputs (property values and income) are regularly updated
Base costs (teacher pay, operations) remain the same and do not reflect increases from inflation
Result: Districts look wealthier on paper than in reality because the formula updates the calculation of their wealth but not their expenses (the base cost inputs). This imbalance reduces the state share of funding to school districts, forcing local taxpayers to cover more costs. The core issue isn't "phantom students" but rather the imbalance that results in a decrease in state funding, which places more districts on a guarantee, thus shifting the burden to local taxpayers. In Hilliard, our enrollment is stable and has been slowly increasing since the pandemic.
With no update to the base costs and a reduction in the guarantee, our funding from the formula will decrease. When compared to our November forecast, revenue will decrease by $2.2 million in FY2026 and by about $3.5 million each year for FY2027-FY2029 (assuming no further decrease in the guarantee percentage in the FY2028-29 State budget), for a total of $12.5 million over the current forecast period.
Every dollar invested in our local schools impacts our local economy and our future workforce. Once fully implemented, the Fair School Funding Plan will bring predictability and stability for Ohio schools, allowing districts to sustain and develop programming that will prepare all students for success. That means Ohio will continue to be a desirable place to live, work, and raise a family.
It is vital that legislators hear from you regarding the Fair School Funding Plan.
Over the next few days, please take the time to call or send a short email to the following legislators who represent our school district:
Representative Crystal Lett rep11@ohiohouse.gov or 614-466-5358
Representative Christine Cockley Rep06@ohiohouse.gov or 614-644-6005
Representative Allison Russo rep07@ohiohouse.gov or 614-466-8012
Senator Michele Reynolds reynolds@ohiosenate.gov or 614-466-8064
Senator Beth Liston liston@ohiosenate.gov or 614-466-5981
Senator William DeMora demora@ohiosenate.gov or 614-466-4583
What do you say?
Tell them who you are and from what viewpoint you are writing (community member, parent, teacher, school staff member, etc.). My name is NAME, and I am a ROLE in the Hilliard City School District.
Share in a few sentences why you support Hilliard Schools, providing examples of how our schools provide value to you, your family, and the community. I am writing/calling to ask Rep. LEGISLATOR NAME to support the full implementation of the Fair School Funding Plan with updated inputs to account for inflation. This is important to me because…
Emphasize that to represent our school district and community, the legislator needs to support full implementation of the Fair School Funding along with supporting updating of the base cost inputs. Please represent our community in Columbus by fully phasing in the Fair School Funding Plan with updated base costs.
It is often said that what we value, we are willing to fund. As our legislators begin discussing priorities for the biennium budget, they need to hear from you about the importance and urgency of investing in Ohio’s children.
Sincerely,
Melissa Swearingen - Hilliard City Schools Treasurer
David Stewart - Hilliard City Schools Superintendent