2023 North Parking Lot Project

Project Updates

Major construction of the parking lot has been completed and the parking lot is now in use.

To view our updated parking and drop-off/pick-up procedures for the 2023-24 school year, click here.

Parking Lot Complete

September 1, 2023

August 11, 2023

August 11, 2023

Overview of parking lot - sidewalk down center with curbs added

August 7, 2023

Overview of parking lot July 24

July 24, 2023

"Birds-eye view" of parking lot with electrical and phone line poles removed

July 14, 2023

"Birds-eye view" of parking lot with top layer removed

July 7, 2023

"Birds-eye view" of parking lot after demolition of buildings

June 28, 2023

"Birds-eye view" of parking lot prior to construction starting

May 4, 2023

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Front of Parking Lot with Landscaping

September 1, 2023

  • Painting completed

  • Grass planted

  • Landscaping completed

  • Stop signs added

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Asphalt complete in parking lot

August 11, 2023

  • Asphalt completed

  • Sidewalks completed

  • Addition of fiber optic cable completed

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Overview of parking lot with sidewalks and curbs

August 8, 2023

  • Curbs completed

  • Addition of sidewalks

  • Additional drainage evaluation and repairs completed

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Trucks pouring concrete for curbs

July 24, 2023

  • Addition of curbs

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Removal of phone line poles

July 14, 2023

  • Removal of electrical and phone line poles

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Removal of electrical lines

July 7, 2023

  • Removal of junction box

  • Electrical and phone lines buried

  • Two retention ponds added

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"Birds-eye view" of grass lot with maintenance building, garage, house and shed removed

June 28, 2023

  • Demolition of yellow house and shed (213 S. Main St.)

  • Demolition of aging maintenance building

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Machinery removing top layer of asphalt

June 16, 2023

  • Construction equipment arrived on the property

  • Removal of asphalt has started

Project Goal

Community members have shared challenges in finding available parking at Van Buren's schools. When the district has events, such as parent-teacher conferences, Opening Knight, and countless other activities, we often have in excess of 100 cars parking anywhere they can find a spot, both on school property and off. Our goal in completing this project is to improve access to parking for daily usage and district events.

Cars parked for elementary school extravaganza

Elementary Art & Music Extravaganza

Cars parked at high school football game

High School Football Game

Project Details & Design

General Contractor: Helms and Sons Excavating

Engineering Design Firm: Van Horn, Hoover & Associates, Inc.

  • Add Approximately 110 Additional Parking Spaces to Campus

  • Demolition of Yellow House and Shed (213 S. Main St.)

  • Demolition of Aging Maintenance Building

  • Burial of Electrical Wires and Telephone Lines

  • Addition of Buried Fiber Optic Cables

  • Additional Security Cameras

  • Addition of Underground Advanced Drainage System

  • New Asphalt and Striping

  • Addition of Light Poles

  • Addition of Curbs and Safe Walking Paths/Sidewalks

  • Updated Landscaping

Parking Lot Plan

Project Timeline

District Communication

Upcoming May 2023 Knightly News Article

Dear Van Buren Families,

The school year is winding down which means the district’s summer projects are getting closer to beginning.  One summer project was first discussed in the March Knightly News.  In that article, I informed the district about the work of our facility team that’s composed of community members and school employees.  Since early fall, this committee has been developing plans to increase the school district’s parking capacity so that we could better meet the needs of our students, staff, and community.  

During the winter months, the facility committee began working with a local engineering firm, Van Horn, Hoover & Associates, to redesign and add to the parking lot on the north side of our property.  Because the existing northern parking lot was scheduled to be repaved in the near future, this was a good opportunity for the district to redesign and add to the existing parking lot.

In the coming weeks and months, the community will see work being completed to remove the yellow house (213 S. Main St.), a yellow shed, and our maintenance building.  The aging maintenance building is in need of some costly repairs (roof and flooring) and its location on our property limits our ability to optimize the usage of our current land.  

Another local company, Helms and Sons Excavating out of Findlay, will be completing our parking lot project.  Work is scheduled to begin in June.  If the project does not have any delays, it will be completed by the start of the school year (in early September).  The project will add approximately 110 additional parking spaces to our campus and will assist us in alleviating many additional problems faced by our students, staff, parents, and community. To learn more about the details of this project and to stay apprised of project updates throughout the summer, please visit https://bit.ly/23parkingproject. Thank you to our facility committee for their work to improve parking for our schools and to the community for their continued support of this great district!

Sincerely,  

Jason Inkrott, Superintendent

March 2023 Knightly News Article

Accessing Parking

Fellow Black Knights:

As we enter spring and start looking toward the end of the school year, I’d like to update our community on the activity of one of our standing superintendent committees. If you are not aware, the Van Buren Local School District has a handful of committees that include school personnel and community members to help make recommendations that are in the best interest of the school district. One such committee is our facility committee that meets monthly to discuss methods of improving all aspects of our campus. Together, we work to continuously improve our classrooms, buildings, and school grounds.

As a new superintendent in the Van Buren Local School District, I was surprised at how quickly community members wanted to discuss the challenges people face to find parking at Van Buren’s schools. For those community members not familiar with our campus, a common daily obstacle we face is having enough spaces for everyone to park. In addition, when the district has events, such as parent teacher conferences, Opening Knight, and countless other activities, we often have in excess of 100 cars parking anywhere they can find a spot, both on school property and off.

While exploring the parking issues our district has been facing, the facility committee examined the district’s current property situation. During this time, the district was presented with an opportunity to purchase a neighboring property, 213 S. Main Street. This is the yellow house adjacent to the Van Buren Middle School, of which the school district owns the property on either side. Our committee discussed the many potential ways that our district could utilize this land to address some of the needs of our students, parents, and community. In the end, the committee recommended, and the district agreed, that we would acquire the property with the intent of addressing our parking deficiency to best meet the needs of our students and community. Currently, the facility committee is exploring different parking lot designs with the hopes that we will one day be able to address our parking deficiencies. I will keep the community informed as decisions are made regarding our future plans.

In conclusion, I want to personally thank all of our community members who have given up valuable time to serve on one of our many district committees. I am truly fortunate to be part of such a supportive community who’s dedicated to creating the best possible opportunities for our students.

Jason Inkrott, Superintendent

Cars parked along alley of church and in grassy area

Cars parked on campus - not in legal parking spots and in grass