A Saturday afternoon ceremony kicked off the construction of a $50 million preschool through 12th-grade campus for the United Local School District.

Cheerleaders posed for pictures with their pom-poms and ceremonial shovels at the construction site followed by community service at the middle school gym.

The Ohio Facilities Construction Commission approved $28,970,346 in state funding for plans to build the new building for the system’s elementary, middle, and high school for the district’s 1,150 students.

The district’s $20,131,935 share of funding came from revenue generated by the new Nexus gas pipeline and compression station in the district.

Plans call for demolishing some of the buildings constructed as early as 1950.  The current gymnasium and auditorium will remain.