‘A new beginning:’ New $95 million Fairborn High School opens its doors

The high school consists of three wings, about 60 classrooms, a 1,000-seat performing arts center, an arena, as well as a new football stadium.

On the north side of the huge high school complex is the arena that seats 2,100 people and the auxiliary gym, as well as athletic training facilities. The middle of the new high school includes administrative offices and the performing arts center. Band, orchestra and choir classrooms are in this section. On the south side, the academic wing consists of a two-story section, with state-of-the-art classrooms and equipment.

“To my knowledge, this is the first time in history that we have all of our academic and extracurricular activities on the same site,” said school board President Jerry Browning.

Fairborn has also secured $820,000 in state grants for career technical education and equipment, said outgoing Fairborn High School Principal Waylon Stegall. The money provides Fairborn students with “21st century equipment and technology to get them ready for life after high school,” Stegall said.

Taking over for Stegall is Karen Chicketti, who comes from Dayton Public Schools. She said it’s “very humbling” to be part of this new chapter in the history of Fairborn education.

“I’m very honored to be the new principal here at Fairborn High School,” she said. “I’m excited for the school year and more importantly I’m excited for the students to be able to come to this building.”

Fairborn school district voters approved a 5.83-mill bond issue in 2020 to pay for the new high school, arts center and athletics complex in conjunction with Ohio Facilities Construction Commission funding.

“It’s a new beginning. It’s a new beginning for myself, for the students, and for this community to come together to support the board of education, the superintendent, and to pass the bonds ... thank you, Fairborn community,” Chicketti said.

“It is the citizens of Fairborn that made this happen,” said Fairborn Mayor Dan Kirkpatrick. “Thank you, Fairborn community.”

A second tax issue approved last spring would generate about $24.6 million, and money not spent on the new high school will be used to fund a new middle school, built on Commerce Center Boulevard south of the new high school, according to the district.