Grandview Heights Schools is presently in the planning and programming phase regarding Stevenson Elementary. This is a collaborative effort between our dedicated staff and community members and is being facilitated by the architecture firm of Perkins&Will.  These programming and planning meetings are designed to engage thinking around how students learn and how we can create and build innovative, collaborative, and flexible spaces to best support their learning.  We are grateful for the input and support from all involved parties as we work together to create a learning environment that fosters growth, innovation, and academic excellence.  We are excited to be revisiting the Stevenson Elementary aspects of our Facilities Master Plan. 

Stevenson Elementary Master Planning Update (Posted 8.2023)

We have recently concluded our third Stevenson Elementary Master Planning Committee meeting. We have had a total of three full day meetings with parents, teachers, and administration to create a Master Plan for Stevenson Elementary School to address the current building needs.  I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to all the committee members - teachers, staff, community, and Board members - who have been involved in our process thus far.  Your input, dedication, and passion for the future of our schools are commendable and highly appreciated.

There is consensus among the committee members regarding the following:

• Limitations exist on the Stevenson Elementary site due to the need for increased square footage and limited acreage available.  

• While options for both a renovation and new construction were presented to the committee, the preference was unanimous to build a new Stevenson Elementary because of inherent design limitations posed by the current building.  

• The committee unequivocally agreed that disruption to student learning must be minimized. As such, K-3 students should be relocated to an alternate location during construction, either modular classrooms located on district property or utilizing other Grandview Heights/Marble Cliff locations, to expedite construction and maintain student safety.  

Our architects and programming and planning partners, Perkins & Will, are presently assimilating all of the feedback and will soon present an update to the Board of Education which will include options for renovation and new construction, along with corresponding timelines and cost estimates.  We will send notification reminders via Parent Square when a Stevenson Elementary facilities presentation will be on the Board of Education meeting agenda.  We also commit to communicating this more broadly to our wider community through social media and other communications.  

We remain dedicated to creating a learning environment at Stevenson Elementary that is flexible, adaptable, child-centered, sustainable, welcoming, safe, and fiscally responsible, as guided by the principles developed by the committee.

Again, thank you for your continued support and involvement. I encourage you all to stay engaged as we continue working towards building a bright and prosperous future for our students and our community.

Stevenson Elementary Planning Update (Posted 6.2023)

We are pleased to share an update about the exciting progress on the Stevenson Elementary project following the latest Board of Education meeting on June 21, 2023. The architectural firm Perkins & Will was commissioned for the project and is doing a remarkable job in reimagining Stevenson Elementary. Their expertise, combined with the invaluable input from our planning committee of educators, staff, and community members, is helping us shape a future-ready school that will serve our children's educational needs in the most comprehensive way.  A copy of the June 21 Board of Education presentation is attached.

During the course of our planning process, we focused on seven key areas:

1. Student Learning Spaces (core academic)
2. Professional Spaces
3. Community and Stakeholder Spaces
4. Media Spaces
5. Fitness and Wellness Spaces
6. Visual and Performing Arts Spaces
7. Facility Support Spaces

Our planning committee has conducted two workshops thus far. The first was on May 2, which involved thinking about how the form and function of learning spaces would best meet our students and staff needs.  This was followed by a second workshop on June 14, where we reviewed draft program building diagrams and performed a site analysis and design.  The outcomes of these workshops led to the development of six guiding principles that we believe the new learning environments for Stevenson Elementary should embody. These principles include spaces that are:

1. Flexible, adaptable, and spark curiosity.
2. Child-centered and appropriately designed for learner success.
3. Sustainable, honor the health of occupants and the planet, and embrace the outdoors.
4. Welcoming and inclusive for all.
5. Safe and secure.
6. Fiscally responsible and community responsive.

We're looking forward to our next workshop on August 10, where we'll finalize the program, building diagrams, and site design.   We highly encourage community members to attend future Board of Education meetings to stay up-to-date with the latest information on this important project.  We appreciate your continued support and engagement in this important community endeavor.