By Lindsey Coulter
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio — Bowling Green City Schools officially broke ground this month on a new 155,000-square-foot high school to better serve the growing community.
Global, integrated design firm DLR Group, in partnership with emersionDESIGN of Cincinnati, designed the new high school facility, which will serve approximately 880 Bowling Green students in grades nine through 12.
The three-story facility will be centered around a learning hub and commons (which will offer dining and multipurpose space), where hallways from all academic departments will converge. A learning stair offers another area for instruction and gathering, while the new Dedicated Learning Center will host special education and life skills courses. To increase student engagement, learning will be put on display and celebrated throughout the school, showcasing educational programming in general classrooms and labs, agriculture, marketing, performing and fine arts, business, robotics and broadcasting spaces. A new competition gymnasium serving 1,750 spectators with full court views from an elevated walking track is another focal point of the design.
The approximately $63 million project will be supported by a $72.8 million bond passed in November 2023 a bond issue approved by local voters in 2023. The additional funding will help to cover some environmental upgrades and efficiency investments, such as the addition of 140 geothermal wells and heat pumps, a modern building automation system, LED lighting with occupancy sensors and energy-recovery units. Some of the additional funds will also support the redevelopment of the existing high school facility.
The project also the first transformational project advocated for by the district’s educational facilities master plan since its approval in October 2023. As community engagement was crucial to the project’s development, the project team hosted visioning meetings with students and teachers, who emphasized that the new school should be a central point of pride for the Bowling Green community. The design team spent 18 months exploring numerous design, layout and orientation options that balanced the educational needs and budget.
“The new Bowling Green High School embodies the design excellence that’s possible when everyone works together with a shared commitment to student success,” said Dusty Lake, associate and K-12 education client leader for DLR Group. “Our extensive planning and visioning with the district have driven the design of this new school. Every decision has been a collaborative effort, ensuring the outcome not only meets but exceeds expectations.”
The project should be completed in time to welcome students for the 2027-28 school year. Following the transition into the new facility, the current high school, which has served the community since 1963, will be partially redeveloped into the new Bowling Green City Schools Activity Center, set to open in 2028.
The design team also collaborated with the construction management team of Rudolph Libbe Inc. and the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission, which will contribute roughly 17% of construction costs.