While nearly everyone in the community has taken at least one opportunity to drive by the construction site of the new Minford High School,  a lot is going on which cannot be seen from Bond Road including an extensive system of underground support.

One major concern throughout the planning stages of the project was the soil problem.  The presence of a ten foot thick layer of "Minford silt" or gumbo created the original problems which have resulted in numerous cracks and incidents of shifting of the existing high school occupied in 1969.  The solution provided by the engineers has been to construct the new building on a series of underground concrete pillars or caissons averaging 42" in diameter and drilled 30' deep in the ground will support each load bearing corner of the building and interior walls.  A total of 2327 cubic yards of concrete was utilized in the construction of this network of supports.

Additional support for the new construction came in the form of nearly 1.5 miles of grade beams.  These grade beams (concrete footings) rest atop the caissons and average 30" wide and 36" deep while running under every load bearing wall of the new building.  An additional 2343 cubic yards of concrete was utilized in this stage of construction.  Four thousand six hundred and seventy yards of concrete,  internally supported by a network of steel rebar,  now support the new building.

Exterior and interior block walls clearly display the L-shaped design of the new 100,000 plus square foot facility.  Parking facilities to the east side of the building are currently under construction with base stone compacted and blacktop scheduled for installation as weather permits.  When completed in late summer or early fall,  the new facility will house 28 classrooms or learning labs,  a 3000 square foot auditeria complete with stage,  vocal and instrumental music and art rooms,  a large library and media center,  and a 12,000 square foot gymnasium complex.  The brick exterior of the building will match in color the existing high school and primary complexes and will include a combination metal and EPDM rolled roof.

Built under the strict guidelines of the Ohio School Facilities Commission and the careful watch of Gilbane construction management firm,  the community will look with pride as our next generations of Minford citizens have the opportunity to attend and learn in these wonderful new facilities.