Oakwood Schools Foundation (OSF) presented the Oakwood City School District with a $680,000 grant to support renovations of the Oakwood Junior and High School Auditorium at the District’s Monday, March 10, Board Meeting. Fully funded by the generous support of OSF’s donors, and led by Trustees Kevin Jones, Amy Martin, and Greg Lauterbach, this project marks the second of three phases set to revitalize the art facilities at Oakwood Junior and Senior High.
“We are thrilled to be presenting this check to Oakwood Schools for Phase 2: Enhancements to the Auditorium.” said OSF Vice Chair Amy Martin at the Monday night meeting. “We owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to our donors near and far who love and support our schools, as well as the many former Oakwood Schools Foundation trustees who laid the groundwork, establishing the foundation as a trusted partner to our schools and donors, making the Flourish Campaign possible.”
This landmark revitalization of the auditorium comes only a year after the construction and opening of The Rick and Jane Schwartz Performing Arts Wing, an entirely new addition which houses spaces for band, choir, and orchestra, providing state of the art acoustics and space for these now-burgeoning programs. Expected enhancements include updated theatrical rigging to quickly and safely raise and lower lighting and scenery, shades to block unwanted light, updated electrical systems to meet the needs and requirements to work with new, sharp and colorful LED lighting and an engineered sound system with wireless microphones and speakers, all controlled from a streamlined operating board. “The revitalized auditorium is designed to put students’ talents and hard work in the spotlight.” added Martin.
As the District works to implement the upgrades supported by the generous donors to OSF, both organizations now look to the third and final phase of Flourish Campaign, which seeks to bring upgrades to visual art spaces including The David Mudry Kiln Room, the art classrooms, and more. Details about progress on the revitalization of Oakwood Auditorium and the launch of the upcoming third phase of the Flourish Campaign are expected this summer as these organizations gather input from teachers, staff, and trustees to determine the scope and goal of the campaign’s final phase.