Recently, the Ohio School Facilities Commission visited the district. The Commission is in charge of school construction statewide for qualifying districts (although MEVSD is not one of these districts).

The purpose of the visit was to view the section of Bunsold Middle School that is built with ICF (Insulated Concrete Forms) construction. This section is made of solid concrete and Styrofoam forms. The Bunsold building and Marysville High School are the first school buildings in Ohio to use this technology. Although it was not something the architects wanted to do initially, Superintendent Zimmerman and the architects researched the product and decided to use it on the two buildings. They recommended this approach primarily because the product would save the district 45 days of construction time - and substantial savings.

The Ohio School Facilities Commission had been part of an inservice held by the district last year. The district and other architects and contractors demonstrated the solid concrete walls as they were being constructed. That inservice helped the commission approve the technology and add it to their approved list of state construction materials and technology. This was a huge step for the state, because it allows qualifying districts to save construction time and money. The commission's recent visit was a follow-up to see the finished ICF product.

A total of 25 people from the Commission visited, including OSFC Director Mike Shoemaker and his key management team. They were impressed with what the district has done, and praised the creative approach to saving taxpayer money and speeding construction time. The Commission is considering a mandate on the use of ICF to speed projects and to also gain insulating value in buildings (because the ICF product has an R-50 insulating value). Director Mike Shoemaker told Superintendent Zimmerman that they will probably contact the district again as they move toward using the ICF technology on the new Ohio School for the Blind.

It was a good visit and good for the district to be recognized for its leadership and creativity.