Business & Finance

Ohio district agrees to pay construction company $1.85 million to end legal dispute

Performance Construction sued the Forest Hills district, saying it was unfairly blamed for construction delays at Anderson High School.
Nov. 17, 2023

Ending a years-long legal battle between the Forest Hills (Ohio) School District and a local construction company, the district has agreed to pay the company $1.85 million.

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports the the school board approved the payment to Performance Construction. The district's liability insurance will pay the company an additional $250,000 as part of the settlement.

The case stems back to a 2014 bond issue that called for $23 million in upgrades to Anderson High School. The district hired Performance Construction for the project but later terminated the contract after lengthy delays. 

Performance Construction filed an $8 million lawsuit in 2019 contending that the district unfairly blamed them for the delays. The company argued that the delay was the district's fault because Forest Hills failed to obtain necessary construction permits.

Broken down over the next nine years, Forest Hills will pay Performance Construction about $205,555 each year. 

About the Author

Mike Kennedy

Senior Editor

Mike Kennedy has been writing about education for American School & University since 1999. He also has reported on schools and other topics for The Chicago Tribune, The Kansas City Star, The Kansas City Times and City News Bureau of Chicago. He is a graduate of Michigan State University.

Sign up for American School & University Newsletters