HILLIARD, Ohio (WCMH) — Hilliard City Schools has announced its location for a new preschool, part of the district’s larger facilities plan.
The new preschool will be on the Britton Norwich campus, connected to Norwich Elementary, the district said. The new preschool wing will also have a front play area where grass and a path connect Norwich and Britton elementaries.
The district said it still has a lot to consider for the project and was unable to provide a timeline as details are still under consideration. Hilliard schools said there is a lot of work to do, including factors like traffic flow and parking, as the campus is home to several lots. The district said it is also considering pedestrian safety, playground design and bell schedules in its plans.
The announcement is part of phase one of the district’s master facilities plan. Along with the new preschool, Hilliard schools will also create a third sixth-grade space by renovating Brown Elementary. Tharp and Station schools will remain sixth-grade buildings, with Hub middle school programming moving to Tharp. Hub high school programming will move to Station, and Ridgewood Elementary will temporarily swing to the Hub.
The district will also replace and build three elementary schools, including Brown, Beacon and Ridgewood. Aside from major building renovations, the district is also renovating elementary playgrounds, district extracurricular spaces and district safety standards.
The district said it is also working with the city of Hilliard and the Norwich Township Fire Department to address environmental and safety concerns. Stacie Raterman, Hilliard’s director of communications, said the district has a lot of moving pieces to consider, so it is unable to provide much information outside what has already been released.
“Our team is still working on the timeline for the bigger projects,” Raterman said. “Until we have that set we won’t have more specifics.”
However, the district assured families it will continue to provide updates and seek community feedback. Initial estimates for the total cost of phase one is $142 million, funded by a combined bond-levy request that voters approved in November 2024.