FAIRBORN — The new Fairborn High School is ready to bring in a new wave of students this year, complete with more space and amenities than ever before.

The brand new building, about 50,000 square feet of space for students, will be holding a ribbon cutting and walk-through event July 17 in preparation for classes to begin Aug. 20.

The new building is one of the most impressive projects put together by the Fairborn City Schools administration, and thanks to a near $1 million grant, it is well-equipped with some of the most advanced learning tools available.

Project Lead The Way is a highlight for the high school. This $820,615 grant was utilized to fully equip computer labs and extend educational abilities in STEM fields, bolstering education and career-readiness for high school students. The new facility is packed full of technological advancements and open learning environments in order to make the biggest impact on students’ quality-of-life and learning potential.

Teachers and other staff who will be in the building each day can also expect improvements in their day-to-day life. Soft seating and flexible academic spaces are just a couple, according to Superintendent Gene Lolli and newly appointed Principal Karen Spaulding-Chicketti. The new space allows for creative hands-on learning not possible in the previous facility, and all technology has been updated to support each department’s educational initiatives.

Students are excited to make the move, according to Spaulding-Chicketti and Lolli.

With the new space, there will also be two main entrances into the school. The main entrance for community and visitors, and the back entrance to support incoming bus riders. All areas within the building were created with accessibility in mind, and all locations and entrances are entirely handicapped accessible.

What the leadership at Fairborn City Schools is most excited for, beyond a larger space for students, is the academic improvements they were able to secure. Thanks to equipment grant funding from the State of Ohio, the high school will be adding computer science courses with state-of-the-art technology within the classroom.

For the Project Lead The Way engineering course, 3-D printers have been added, along with a robotic arm, a laser cutter, and multiple other items all of which allow students to learn how to program and gain important skills preparing them for college or the work force upon graduation.

Three Anatomage tables will also be added for the school’s biomedical classes, which allow students to learn interactively with young and well-preserved digital cadavers. Students in these courses will see different anatomical variations and a large number of pathological variations, preparing them for college or the workforce in the health and sciences fields.

The ribbon cutting and walk-through begin at 3 p.m. with a dedication. The open house showing off the brand new complex will be from 4-7 p.m., with food and drinks available to visitors. The new building is located at 1523 Commerce Center Blvd., and administration requests that those hoping to attend the open house RSVP to Pam Gayheart at [email protected], or by calling 937-878-3961, ext. 1117.

Contact Ethan Charles at 937-502-4532.