Former Meadowbrook School Building Set for Demolition

BYESVILLE, OH – A longtime piece of history in the Rolling Hills Local School District is set to come down this month. WHIZ’s Shylin Costello takes a look at the building’s legacy and what’s next for the district.

For over 60 years, the building has stood on the Rolling Hills campus. It started as Meadowbrook High School, graduated its final senior class in 1986, and later became Meadowbrook Middle School. Now, as demolition draws near, many in the community are taking one last look at a place filled with memories.

“There’s a lot of history in this building. This was the first building where all of the Meadowbrook students came together. Before that, each individual village and town around us had their own high schools. In 1964 when the building was built, it was really the creation of Rolling Hils.” Devvon Dettra, the Rolling Hills Superintendent, said.

While the classrooms may be empty, the memories still remain. For Nancy Adamik Hill, those memories stretch back to the very beginning. She was the first student to receive a diploma from Meadowbrook High School.

“What happened was… there was a guy before me. He was there for the baccalaureate. We used to have baccalaureate on Sunday and then Friday night we would graduate. He didn’t show up. So I was first to get my diploma that’s how that worked out.” Nancy Hill, the first Meadowbrook High School graduate, said.

For many, this building represents more than brick and mortar. It’s where lifelong friendships began, where lessons were learned, and where generations of Colts became part of the Meadowbrook story.

“One of my favorite memories is the Cambridge Meadowbrook basketball game. We used to fill the gym to where there was standing room only. It became a rivalry at the start and it’s still a rivalry.”  Lois Snyder Hill, a Meadowbrook Graduate of 1969, said.

And today, those memories live on in a new, modern campus that offers students more opportunities and room to grow.

“The new campus will expand our already large career and college offerings. There’s also a modernization of the open spaces that we’re going to use for more pull-out education opportunities. It’s modernized.” Dettra said.

The bricks may be different, and the classrooms may look a lot newer, but the mission remains unchanged: it’s still a place where students can learn, grow, and create memories of their own.

Demolition of the former Meadowbrook School is expected to begin in mid-June. District leaders say there will be bricks available for community members who would like to keep a piece of the building. Those bricks will be available on a first-come, first-served basis, along with other keepsakes.