Staff photo / Bob Coupland Lordstown Superintendent Greg Bonamase stands next to a large projector in the high school’s former planetarium, which he hopes to have reopened next school year. It was last used in 2000. Work has begun cleaning the room and getting ready for new equipment.

LORDSTOWN — Plans are moving forward to reopen the planetarium at Lordstown High School, which has been closed for more than 25 years.

Superintendent Greg Bonamase said the room has been cleaned, including the carpet, and some older items have been removed, as work will continue to get the room open for the 2026-27 school year.

A projector from 1978 is being disconnected and taken out, he said.

“We have a new unit, which we will install. We are already moving forward on renovating the room to make it functional again,” Bonamase said.

Bonamase said the room is still in good condition and has mostly been used for storage space over the years.

Bonamase said staff will receive professional development on using the planetarium and equipment. Both elementary and high school classes will be able to use the planetarium.

Bonamase said when he became superintendent in 2020, he discussed seeing what can be done to reopen the planetarium and has spoken to companies about bids and quotes for it.

Lordstown Board of Education President Cheryl Kistler has said she remembers the planetarium was used years ago by science classes such as astronomy and geography, and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) classes and programs. She said she and other board members agree with Bonamase on reopening the planetarium.

“It would be exciting to be able to use the planetarium again. We were all interested in the plans being discussed,” Kistler said.

The room has a large projector that allows for images such as stars and planets to be seen in a dome area on the ceiling of the room as students sit in a circle of 25 to 30 theater-type seats looking upward. There is also a large telescope.

Bonamase has said the project costs approximately $50,000 to do all the upgrades and replace all the equipment.

“We may be the only high school in the area that has a planetarium. If we can get this up and running again, we may be able to have other school districts come here and use the room. This would be a great resource that would not only benefit Lordstown schools but also other schools,” Bonamase said.

He said he researched grants that could help cover costs.

The planetarium opened in the 1970s when the school building opened. He said a grant from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was used then to get the room running.

“Back in the 1960s and 1970s, space exploration and the planets were hot topics,” Bonamase said.