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For City Manager Jim Mavromatis, there's a simple explanation about what the opening of the Pugliese STEM Academy means for the community.
"It certainly helps the downtown because of the increase in students," Mavromatis said last Sunday, shortly after the ribbon was cut to dedicate the addition to Steubenville High School. "The No. 1 thing that this does for our community, is that this is what brings people in. I transferred nine times when I was with the federal government, and the first thing we always asked is what are the schools like.
"This is what people look at -- you couldn't ask for a better setup."
Completion of the three-story building, which is connected to the original high school building by a skywalk, means that the campus now stretches for two blocks along North Fourth Street. It represents an investment of more than $20 million in education -- and it came together without having to ask city residents to pay additional taxes.
"When people ask me what makes the difference in Steubenville City Schools, I always say it's our community, it's our community, it's our community," Superintendent Melinda Young said during the dedication ceremony.
"This achievement would not have been possible without the support of many community members. We extend our gratitude to the city of Steubenville, whose vision and commitment to education has been instrumental in making this dream a reality."
Much of that funding came from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Security Act and sizable help from the Charles M. and Thelma M. Pugliese Charitable Foundation, which has been a source of money for numerous improvements that have been made throughout the school system.
The addition, which bears the name of the Puglieses, will house a wide range of classes, ranging from aerospace engineering and aviation, to agricultural sciences, biomedical sciences, health informatics, information technology, carpentry, global logistics and supple chain management, multimedia training, education, computer science, computer-aided design and drafting, computer science training and clean energy education. Plus, a wide range of career-tech programs are offered at the school.
"The impact of the STEM building extends well beyond the walls of our school district," Young said of the 28,000-square-foot structure. "It will serve as a center for community engagement, fostering partnerships among our schools, local businesses, government, community groups, churches and higher education. The collaborative spirit will ensure that our students have every opportunity to succeed."
That commitment to the community and the students was a theme that was described by everyone who spoke Sunday.
"Today this day is an exciting day is an understatement," said Shana Wydra, who has served as director of STEM education for the district since 2014. "I stand here overwhelmed with excitement and pride for Steubenville City Schools, our staff and, most important, our students."
Each of the labs is impressive. The learning environment is open, and the technology is state-of-the-art, from the RedBird Flight Simulators in the aerospace engineering and aviation area to the Apple iMacs seen throughout the classrooms (there are around 60, Wydra explained) to the broadcast studio.
The addition also will be the new home to the Red Zone, the school store operated by students as a way to teach accounting, sales and marketing, among other skills. The storefront will move from inside the commons area to a location in the new building that can be seen from Fourth Street.
"This facility basically is the bridge to get kids out of the basement, give them hope and get their career going before they ever get their diploma -- that's the key," said U.S. Rep. Michael Rulli, R-Salem, after the ceremony. His words were echoed by state Sen. Brian Chavez, R-Marietta.
Rulli said in remarks during the ceremony that the facility and programs will make a big difference in the lives of area residents.
"When you have something like a STEM program like you do right here, you see that these kids are excited, because it's where the rubber meets the road," he said. "It's something tangible. In Europe, they've been doing this for the last 20 years, where they would get kids in seventh and eighth grades and say, 'What do you want to do with your life?' If you just put them in a classroom with a chalkboard, that sound of the teacher just numbs them. STEM actually wakes them up -- it gets them involved and it gives them a future."
A lot of work and effort has been put into the building and the programs it will house since ground was first broken in October 2022, and it has all created a sense of excitement among the teachers and the students.
"We are giving our students opportunities, and we appreciate that, to grow and develop and learn," said Principal Ted Gorman. "Our graduates will have the opportunity to pursue high-paying careers."
The terms game-changing, and state-of-the-art were used frequently by everyone who talked about the addition and the possibilities it will open. Those words too often are used about projects where the expectations never do meet the realities.
That's not the case here. Officials with Steubenville City Schools have shown they always have been able to deliver what they have promised -- and, most often, much more. Every expectation is that will be the case with the Pugliese Stem Academy.
"By investing in our students, we are investing in the community," Young said. "As we stand here today to dedicate this building, let's not only celebrate this achievement, but also recommit ourselves to the principles that have brought us to this moment: A belief in the power of education, a dedication to innovation and a vision of a future filled with endless possibilities for our students and the community."
(Gallabrese, a resident of Steubenville, is executive editor of the Herald-Star and The Weirton Daily Times)