Ground broken for OHHS building

White lines painted in a field and a mini-van marked the site of Oak Harbor High School’s new Career and Technical wing at Wednesday’s groundbreaking ceremony.

Superintendent Rick Schulte said the van, painted with the Wildcat logo, was parked on the site of the future video lab.

Construction of the $7.6 million building includes a production lab, an art and auto shop and a robotics lab.

“It’ll be quite the family gathering place once we get it together,” Ken Bender, computer-aided drafting teacher, said. The new wing is the first phase of a larger modernization project of Oak Harbor High School.

Wednesday afternoon, a few future students of the school and community members gathered in the field behind the school’s gymnasium.

Although the only thing shining that day were the gold, spray-painted shovels, Schulte said it was a fabulous turnout of about 30 people, who came despite the inclement weather. Attendees included Mayor Jim Slowik, State Rep. Barbara Bailey and Senate legislative assistant Gina Bull.

The $54 million bond for construction was approved by voters two years ago, and since then, planning for the project has centered on increasing space and bringing in natural light, Principal Dwight Lundstrom said. Drafts of the project were hung on the field’s metal fence for people to inspect. One priority is limiting to school’s 75 entrances to about 15 for better security.

“The attitude with kids, especially athletes who travel to other schools, is that this is kind of a run-down place,” Lundstrom said. “Kids are excited for a new and shiny space.”