DELPHOS, Ohio (WLIO) — Mike DeWine visited Delphos City Schools to celebrate new legislation that will fund a long-awaited school improvement project.
The governor joined students, faculty and state leaders to mark the signing of House Bill 96, which allocates $20 million for the construction of a new middle school addition attached to the high school. The project aims to replace the district’s current middle school building, which is more than a century old.
District officials said the funding formulas used by the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission placed Delphos City Schools at a disadvantage, making it difficult to secure state support for a new facility. In response, Superintendent Jeff Hobbs worked with State Representative Roy Klopfenstein to pursue legislative action.
The governor joined students, faculty and state leaders to mark the signing of House Bill 96, which allocates $20 million for the construction of a new middle school addition attached to the high school.
“We're a town of under 10,000 people that has a moderately sized public and a moderately sized private and so those two things kind of work against each other when you talk about state funding. So, we just were not in a good place, where we were going to be able to ask our taxpayers to help us build a new school, especially with the split situation," says Jeff Hobbs, Superintendent, Delphos City Schools.
Klopfenstein said the bill was the result of collaboration among multiple state leaders, including Susan Manchester, Matt Huffman, and Rob McColley.
“Really it was a team effort with Senator (Susan) Manchester and Speaker (Matt) Huffman and Senator (Rob) McCauley, but the timing was right to help this school out. Jeff (Hobbs) explained it well to me when I come into office, how they were sort of an anomaly with getting school facility funding, so we went to work on it and were successful,” says Roy Klopfenstien, (R) 82nd District State Representative.
DeWine emphasized the importance of modern school facilities and responsible stewardship of existing buildings.
“Look, it's good for everybody's morale to see a new building. This building is over 100 years old, so it's not like they haven't got the use of the building. They've done a good job being very, very conscious about money. But look, it's time, and the community felt it was time, and we agree with that," says Gov. Mike DeWine, (R) Ohio.
During his visit, DeWine also took questions from students about his nearly 50 years in public service and the role education plays in preparing Ohio’s workforce.
“To fill all the jobs of the present and the future, it takes education. It takes career tech, some kids go to college, it takes all of the above,” adds DeWine.
The district plans to contribute approximately $2 million toward the project. Construction is expected to begin in spring 2027, with the new middle school addition projected to open in the 2028 school year.
