Plans for New Oxford Elementary School, Fine Arts Building Move Forward

By Alyssa Schnugg
Staff writer
alyssa.schnugg@hottytoddy.com

The Oxford School District’s Board of Trustees and others attending Monday’s regular meeting caught a first glimpse of what the new elementary school and fine arts buildings will look like once completed.

Jennifer Seymour, with Eley Guild Hardy Architects, presented the renderings and plans for both buildings to the board.

The new elementary school that will be built near Oxford Intermediate School, will be about 90,000 square feet in size and have 43 classrooms, which provide space for about 860 students.

Oxford Elementary serves children in first and second grades and has outgrown its current location off Highway 30.

Included in the plans is a community area that would have a washer and dryer, and provide space for groups like LovePacks that sends food home each week with children who live in a low-income household.

However, the community room would be an alternate bid once the project goes out to bid.

Superintendent Brian Harvey said the plans for the new school were shown to the OE teachers.

“We had some good comments and got great approval from them so we’re moving forward with this plan,” Harvey said Monday.

Seymour also showed renderings and site plans for the new Fine Arts building at the Oxford High School. The building will have a large stage and auditorium with 675 seats, as well as classrooms for art, music and theater. The building will be 48,000 square feet.

“The building will sit on the west corner of the site (near OHS),” Seymour said. “There will be two large art rooms and kitchen space for culinary arts, recording space and three band hall facilities.”

The outside of the fine arts building facade will match closely to the existing OHS buildings.

Bids for the school will be accepted in early December with construction starting sometime in January. Bids for the fine arts building will be accepted in January with construction starting in February.