Photo Provided The Bridgeport Exempted Village School District administrative team welcomes area stakeholders and local and state officials to the May 28 groundbreaking for the Bridge, a state-funded multipurpose facility that will launch a new era of health, education and training opportunities for the surrounding communities. Pictured from front left are board of education members Karrie Puskas, Kori Rosnick, Patrick McConnaughy and Superintendent Brent Ripley. Back from left are board member Ryan Kreiter, Treasurer Eric Meininger and board member Don Cash.

BRIDGEPORT — The date has been set for the groundbreaking of the Bridge, a multipurpose facility to be erected on Bridgeport Exempted Village School District’s campus that promises to make the district a center of life-changing services that could benefit thousands in the surrounding communities.

Beginning at 6 p.m. May 28, school leaders and members of the board of education and administration, students, community stakeholders and state officials will assemble in the cafetorium for a celebratory ceremony before heading out to turn the first shovels of earth.

Superintendent Brent Ripley said this event signifies a pivotal moment in the community’s commitment to advancing education, workforce development and public health.

On June 12, the school district was awarded a state grant of $13,834,879 to construct a 28,500-square-foot addition to the existing preschool through 12th grade school building.

The Bridge itself epitomizes the culmination of more than two years of teamwork, collaborative efforts, planning and feedback from an entire school community. Stakeholders in fields ranging from daycare to medical service, sports and recreation have attended regular planning sessions.

The public also gave input during three community meetings where school leaders laid out the plans and took suggestions that were later incorporated into the design. The elementary students were also asked for ideas for the new playground.

The Bridge will house expanded labs for science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and College Credit Plus for students, and adults will be able to attend training after school hours. The Bridge will also house medical and dental care and provide a site for community events.

The philosophy of using the same space for multiple services has guided the planning process, and the district has formed strong partnerships with local businesses and agencies interested in using the Bridge. These include WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital, which will open a clinic on site. The Medicaid-funded OhioRISE (Resilience through Integrated Systems and Excellence), which connects young people who have behavioral and multisystem needs with the resources that will most benefit them, has long enjoyed a partnership with the school district with an office on campus. OhioRISE will also make use of the Bridge.

Board of education members reflected on what the district has accomplished and what the project will mean for the community.

Don Cash said many are enthused about the fitness center and golf simulators as well as the expanded educational opportunities.

“It’s a really exciting time. It’s come full circle since 2004 (when) we came out here and made this our campus,” he said. “It’s all-encompassing. It’s really going to be nice.”

Karrie Puskas, who got the initial idea from a board conference in Columbus with Kori Rosnick, marveled to see it come to fruition.

“To see this become a reality, it’s more than I thought would ever happen for our district, and everybody on the team has gone above and beyond to make it flourish,” Puskas said.

Rosnick brings a medical background and insight into the local need for convenient medical and dental services.

“Many people don’t access those items because they can’t get there because of transportation issues, gas money, things like that,” she said.

Rosnick was also impressed with the public participation, vital to the planning stage.

“Each and every meeting we have, it grows,” she said. “We started from ground zero with just an idea, and to watch it unfold and everybody put their ideas together and all of the items come into place has been the most exciting.”

Ryan Kreiter also appreciated the collaborative process with community members and stakeholders in the nearly one year since being awarded the grant. He agreed with Rosnick that Bridgeport students will graduate with more career options thanks to the Bridge.

“It’s going to be, as we’ve said from the beginning, a game changer,” he said. “This is the biggest, most impactful thing that’s happened in this community since 19-20 years ago when we built our new campus out here. It’s going to do a lot to expand educational opportunities for our students as well as for the community. Workforce training is a big need, especially in this area.”

Patrick McConnaughy said the benefits of the Bridge will be felt.

“By furnishing folks with the ability to see a physician, get dental work done, and the child daycare, that’s really going to help,” he said.

Following the ceremony there will be photo opportunities with school officials, students, state leaders and grant partners. The work of many people brought the project to this point, and invitations were sent to Gov. Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel, as well as to state representatives and other officials, the Ohio Mid-Eastern Governments Association, the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission, the East Central Ohio Educational Service Center, the Department of Job and Family Services, the Belmont County Board of Commissioners, all grant/business partners for the Bridge, area mayors, township trustees and first responders, as well as alumni.

Ripley said while this groundbreaking is exciting for the district, it is important to honor each of the incredible grant partners on May 28.

“The Bridge is only at its visionary stages. We have had so many incredible people agree to help make our vision a reality. When I was hired by the district in July of 2019, I remember doing an interview with WTRF7 and stating how I wanted to get our students out in the community and out to businesses serving them. Many of our grant partners already do so much for our district and students, but our lives as human beings are designed to serve one another. This includes us as a district preparing our students to serve, learn and leave Bridgeport ready to step into adulthood with a high level of confidence and skillset.”

After the 2024-25 school year, construction will continue through summer and during the 2026-27 school year. The project must be completed by Dec. 31, 2026.

The district campus is located at 55707 Industrial Way. Anyone with questions can call the district office at 740-635-1713 or email brent.ripley@bridgeportschools.net.