The Wellington School in Upper Arlington is launching a major campus construction project as it plans to demolish a more than 100-year-old school building to make space for a renovation and expansion.
According to a press release, the project will relocate Wellington’s upper school to the Fishinger Road side of its campus, “where students will move into fully reimagined academic and community spaces designed to support collaborative, inquiry-driven learning.” The project is expected to be completed in 2027. The school did not provide a cost estimate for the work.
The transformation will also include a new upper school entrance, enhanced visual and performing arts facilities, and new outdoor and community spaces, the release said.
Head of School Eliza McLaren said in the prepared release that the project would help the school “fulfill our mission of helping students find their purpose and realize their potential for tomorrow’s world.”
“Wellington must continue to evolve, and this investment reflects how we do that work at Wellington – through spaces that invite curiosity, foster connection, and give students and teachers the conditions to do their best work,” McLaren said.
Wellington was founded in 1982 by a group of local entrepreneurs as Columbus’ first coeducational, independent school. It educates more than 700 students ranging from 3-year-olds to 12th graders. Wellington focuses on encouraging passion-driven learning and fostering an entrepreneurial mindset in students.
The renovation process will also include the demolition of the original 1918 South Perry Township school building on the property.
The building served as the original Perry Township School, built in 1918, along with a mid-20th century addition that once served as an Upper Arlington elementary school.
These buildings formed Wellington’s first home and remained part of campus life for decades. The 1918 building was closed in 2010. On May 9, Wellington hosted a groundbreaking celebration honoring the history of the 1918 building.
At the event, Wellington founders, former teachers, alumni, representatives from the Upper Arlington Historical Society, and members of the Wellington community “gathered to recognize the moment and the continuity of the [1918] school’s mission across generations.”
Cole Behrens covers K-12 education and school districts in central Ohio. Have a tip? Contact Cole at cbehrens@dispatch.com or connect with him on X at @Colebehr_report
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Wellington School launches major renovation, demolition of 1918 school
Reporting by Cole Behrens, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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