CIS UPDATES
Construction on the former Central Intermediate School building has begun and is set to be completed over the next few years.
The project is being worked on by the nonprofit Wadsworth Square Foundation. Tom Weyand, who is a member of the foundation, spoke on what is happening to the old CIS building.
“Mostly it’s [the construction in CIS] all additions and renovations,” Weyand said.
An entertainment complex will be installed downstairs in CIS. This will include an event center and restaurant. O.J. Work Auditorium is being revamped and changed to the Celestia Theater. New lighting and sound equipment will be installed. There are also some interior changes that will be made to the theater.

The original 1907 section of the building, which is part of the second and third floors, will be converted to professional office spaces. The south wing will be converted into around 14 hotel suites. The building addition on South Lyman Street will also be changed to office spaces.
Construction is ongoing as of October 2025. The Celestia Theater is set to open first. Other additions will open to the public as they are finished.
“Some of it’s going to be ready for opening in December, some of it’ll be 2026, some of it will be 2027,” Weyand said.
The foundation has multiple crews working on renovations and additions to the building.
According to Weyand, these crews include painters, plumbers, architects and designers. All the money used for revamping CIS has been privately funded. The Wadsworth Square Foundation has a membership campaign that has raised the money needed to renovate the building.
All the projects are set to be completed by late 2027 or early 2028.
WIS UPDATES
Fifth and sixth-grade students transferred to the WIS building in the fall of 2025, where they have been learning and adapting to the new changes.
Despite students and teachers being present in the building, Brandon Cobb, the principal of WIS, stated that construction is not yet done. Cobb explained that smaller projects around the school are still being worked on. However, there is only one large project that needs to be finished.
“The major construction is still going on with our auditorium,” said Cobb. “Which was always by design, not going to be finished until December.”
The new auditorium can hold about 1,000 attendees. New technology will be implemented, such as better lighting and sound equipment. This will allow Wadsworth students to hold choir, band and other events inside the building.

Although the construction is still ongoing, students and teachers have been able to transition from CIS to WIS. Cobb stated that student feedback was overall positive.
“The spaces are larger, it’s easier to navigate the building, and just an improvement overall,” said Cobb. “Our sixth graders went to school at the old school [CIS], and they have echoed that the spaces are nicer.”
WIS has many new features that were not present at CIS, which are available to all fifth and sixth grade students. One of the new resources is extended learning labs that are outside each wing of classrooms.
“I think the kids [students] are enjoying having these little smaller tables where they can work together,” said Sara Storm, a sixth grade math teacher at WIS.
Construction will continue on the building, and students will keep working to get adjusted to their new school.