The Cornwall-Lebanon School District hosted a groundbreaking ceremony Monday, Jan. 8, for the Falcon Connector building, which will join the Cedar Crest middle and high schools.
Before the ceremony, several involved parties had brief remarks on the estimated $15.8 million project.
“This event is, as always for us, about the students that are here today and also about the students that will be here in the future,” said superintendent Dr. Philip Domencic Monday. “I think one of the hallmarks of Cornwall-Lebanon is always thinking about today but also about preparing for the future.” “It is a tremendous honor for me to stand before you today representing the Cornwall-Lebanon School District Board of Directors as we break new ground on the Cedar Crest campus,” said school board president Ruth Ann Schlegel. 
“It’s obvious we have a growing need, with a growing student population both at the middle school and the high school,” said state Rep. John Schegel, who also made a presentation Monday. “The most complimentary piece to this is that we’re going to connect both buildings immediately, so that we’ll be able to as quickly as possible meet the needs of a growing student population.” 
“As someone who is a parent to two students in this school, I certainly am excited to see our growing community,” said state Senator Chris Gebhard. “I think it’s important to say that it is impressive to me always how this school has been a good steward of the taxpayers’ dollars; this is certainly a significant investment, but I think it’s been well thought out.” 
“We had a great team to work with, and an architect’s really only as good as the input from the owner, and we had great input from the owner,” said Scott Shonk of Beers + Hoffman. “To be able to professionally, thoroughly go through the design project and then put the project out to bid and have the bids come in within budget, particularly in today’s climate, we’re all very grateful and thankful and it took a great team to get there,” said Dan Cicala of Fidevia Construction Management and Consulting.
Work on the around 33,000-square-foot connector was officially kicked off as school board members, administration project leaders, Beers + Hoffman Architecture representatives, and local representatives shoveled up dirt.
After that, other involved parties took turns posing at the site of the groundbreaking.
Cornwall Lebanon School District administrators pose at the site. 
Contractors pose at the grounbreaking site. 
School Board President Ruth Ann Schlegel and superintendent Dr. Philip Domencic pose with student representatives of the high school and middle school. 
Board and administration project leaders, Beers and Hoffman, local representatives, and the remainder of the school board pose at the groundbreaking site.
The two-story connector, planned to include 22 classrooms, is phase one of a three-phase plan to renovate both the high school and middle school.
A facilities study was first requested by the district in September 2021, and the board approved contracts for phase one (the connector) in January 2023.
Read More: CLSD’s plans for Falcon Connector Building on pace for 2024 construction
The district hopes to have this phase completed by the early summer months of 2025.
The classrooms in the connector are meant to serve as swing classrooms, meant to be used short-term while renovations are undergone.
The high school renovations will follow the connector’s construction (estimated to be completed in 2027), followed by renovations of the middle school (estimated to be completed in 2029).
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