Brown Celebrates Groundbreaking of New Piketon Middle School

PIKETON, OH - Today, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) joined local officials to celebrate the groundbreaking of the new Piketon Middle School. Brown secured $20 million for a new middle school in the 2023 government funding law. The new building will replace the now-closed Zahn's Corner Middle School, which was shuttered in 2019 following the detection of radioactive material inside the school.

"We worked to make this new school a reality because no parent should have to worry about whether their child's school is safe. Our country owes a special debt to this community that sacrificed so we could win the Cold War," said Brown. "This school, and all the dedicated teachers and staff inside it, will prepare these students for the bright future we are building in Pike County."

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank Senator Sherrod Brown for his efforts on behalf of the Scioto Valley Local School District, and the citizens of Southeast Ohio. It is through his leadership that funding for our new intermediate school has been made possible," said Wes Hairston, Superintendent of the Scioto Valley Local School District. "The new intermediate school will provide STEM education opportunities that will enhance learning, promote creativity, and will help our students have a brighter future. We are extremely grateful to Senator Brown for this opportunity!"

Brown has long fought for Piketon and the surrounding communities. In April, Brown announced the official award of the $20 million dollar investment to replace the school, after securing the investment the prior December. In October 2022, Brown announced that the Department of Energy (DOE) awarded a $2.5 million grant, over five years, to Ohio University to support the university's efforts working with community organizations involved in the ongoing clean up at the former Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant ("PORTS"). This funding is in addition to the annual funding Brown secures to continue clean-up efforts at PORTS, including $492 million in the bipartisan government funding package that was passed in March.

In 2021, Brown also announced that the DOE's Office of Environmental Management has awarded a $3.5 million grant to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA) for increased oversight and monitoring of the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant Decontamination and Decommissioning Project in Portsmouth. This investment from DOE increased grant funding for the project to $7.5 million, implementing new air monitoring strategies to support OEPA's ongoing efforts to provide co-located monitoring and independent verification of DOE's open-air demolition activities.

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