MALVERN ‒ Brown Local Schools and Aultman Health will hold a groundbreaking Tuesday for the new Malvern Community Learning and Wellness Center.
The 6,880-square-foot, school-based wellness center will provide comprehensive services, including access to health care, mental health, addiction and recovery services, CARE Team Services, and physical fitness activities for staff and community members.
"We are very excited about the opportunity to build a wellness center to benefit our students, staff, and community. This initiative will reinforce our continued commitment to focusing on the whole child," Brown Local Superintendent Mark Sott said in a prepared statement.
"This will be an opportunity to build on our excellent partnerships with Aultman, Springvale Behavioral Health, Pathway Caring for Children, United Way CARE Teams, and the ADAMHS Board of Tuscarawas and Carroll County," he added. "We will also be able to offer a fitness area all community members can access to help focus on living a healthy and balanced lifestyle."
The groundbreaking ceremony will be held at 9 a.m. at the Brown Local Schools campus, 3242 Coral Road NW.
The project is being paid for through $3,514,100 in grant funding, the district said.
The Appalachian Children's Health Initiative, announced by Gov. Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, is investing more than $64 million in dozens of projects to improve access to health care in 36 communities across 20 Appalachian counties in Ohio. It is the largest investment in school-based health services in Ohio.
The wellness center will operate on weekdays, year-round, officials said. Students will be prioritized, but the center will be able to serve staff and community members.
The wellness center will include a school-operated preschool classroom to increase high-quality early learning services to the Malvern community, as well as a leadership and career lab to serve the school district and the community for leadership and workforce development.
FMD Architects of Fairlawn, is the project architect. Beaver Constructors of Perry Township is the construction manager. The project is expected to be completed by Aug. 1, and open in time for the 2025-26 school year on Aug. 19.