BRIDGEPORT — Bridgeport Exempted Village School District has an opportunity to enhance a planned multipurpose facility that promises to make the district campus a hub of education, workforce training and health and they are putting out the call for public input.

This past summer the district announced it has secured $13.8 million in state funding for a 28,500-square-foot addition to be constructed in front of Bridgeport Elementary School. The expansion will have space for education and training, health care and community activities for Bridgeport and the surrounding areas. The forthcoming building has been christened “the Bridge,” because when it becomes a reality the facility will bridge careers, people, health and wellness and day care.

Superintendent Brent Ripley said the project is entirely state funded and the potential is nearly unlimited.

“It offers everything for our community and kids to grow,” he said.

On Dec. 18, the board of education decided to seek additional grant funding through the Appalachian Regional Commission to correlate with the expansion project. Ripley said the ARC grant dovetails with the opportunities promised by the multipurpose facility.

“The purpose of this grant is overall health and wellness and workforce credentialing,” he noted.

Throughout the planning process, the district has sought input from area stakeholders in a wide variety of fields. There have been frequent meetings with a focus on putting every square inch of space to use, from health care to education to day care, as well as training and a site for community events.

The board will submit the ARC grant application in mid-February and expect to hear the decision by late March or early April. But before that, three public meetings have been scheduled. The meetings are set for 6 p.m. Jan. 9 and Jan. 15, and 11 a.m. on Jan. 25, a Saturday. Meetings will be held in the cafetorium. Ripley said all are welcome.

“In the first meeting on the ninth, we want to present the most recent draft of the building. Safety is our top priority here,” he said. “We want to show the community that we have focused on this with many partners and advisors.”

Ripley said the board is looking for ideas related to workforce credentials.

“The meetings on the ninth and 15th will allow the board and I to listen to what our community members would like to see in some of the evening workforce credentialing programs,” he said.

“We’re going after grant money for whatever our community and the district plan together,” he added. “What do we need? What do we need to help lives? To help careers? That’s what we’re going for with this grant. We want to make it community-wide.”

Ripley said they will explore more options at the Jan. 15 meeting, such as how services can be expanded.

“What are those workforce credentialing programs we might bring in for parents that might be looking to change a career or get some training?” he asked. “Courses that we need to bring in to further education or their skill set? We want to embrace what our public, parents, community and maybe even students at night, what they want to do to advance their lives.”

Ripley said they will incorporate the public’s suggestions into the Bridge plan and at the Jan. 25 meeting present the results and a projected new budget contingent on the additional ARC funding. He said this feedback will help improve the plans.

“Anything that we can get will allow us to put a few positive design options — alternates — into our build,” he said. “Anything we can get additionally in grant money is going to help us complete the Bridge. It’s going to be a building that’s recognized through the state.”

The district is also sending out a survey through the district app, asking for community feedback about the Bridge.

“We want to get everyone involved in how we can just continue to grow Bridgeport, not just as a school but as a community, as employees, as parents, as community members,” Ri[ley said. “We want to impact peoples’ lives for the better.”

Groundbreaking for the Bridge will likely be in May. The 2025-26 school year is expected to see considerable construction. The project must be completed by Dec. 31, 2026.

More information will be released on the district app. Anyone with questions can call the district office at 740-635-1713 or email brent.ripley@bridgeportschools.net.