Debate continues on the Akron Public Schools Board of Education concerning its long-term planning and ongoing right-sizing of district facilities.
Right now, there are four versions of what might occur. These do not leave out the possibility of another solution not yet thought of by the task force of administrators and community members who are developing the options.
In the coming weeks, the board plans to make a decision but admits it may not yet have every possible solution in hand for purposes of deliberation.
Even after replacing most APS schools with community learning center buildings over the past 20 years, there are still nearly a dozen buildings with pending maintenance issues -- issues that will only grow more serious with time.
North High School, in the only cluster seeing population growth, needs extensive repairs and updating. Schools in the North cluster are overcrowded, with Harris-Jackson elementary actually over-enrolled.
Aside from north Akron, APS elementary schools are often half full with more than 4,000 available seats for elementary students.
Firestone Park and Pfeiffer elementary schools are on the closing list in each of the options being proposed. So is the Conrad C. Ott facility just south of downtown. Each option would relocate Miller South and build a new North HS. Each also includes the possibility of a new athletic complex.
Population decline, and an appetite for open enrolling to suburban Coventry schools by folks in southwest Akron, has led to more school closings in Kenmore than any other.
Options being discussed:
#1
- Construct a new school for grades K-8, in Kenmore, to hold Miller South, STEM Middle School and Pfeiffer students beginning in August 2025
- Redistrict a portion of the North cluster by June 2024
- Construct a new North High, grades 9-12, to be completed by August 2027
- Move all East cluster sixth-grade students to East CLC by June 2023
- Close Firestone Park Elementary and the Ott Building in June 2024
- Relocate Pfeiffer Elementary and Miller South by June 2025
- Open new preschool programs in community learning center elementary buildings where space is available by August 2026
- Construct a new athletic complex on the former Roswell Kent middle campus, or Kenmore campus, including a turf football/soccer stadium, baseball field, softball field and a practice field, in a possible city/district collaboration
This option would cost about $140 million and would require the district to take on substantial debt, but that debt could be retired through a bond issue if the district was able to convince the public to support one. That would likely be in addition to an operating levy. This option proposes using at least $20 million of the district's federal stimulus dollars.
#1B
This option is the same as the previous but delays the completion of construction of a new North until August 2030. This would delay a bond issue until 2026; APS would seek the bond issue before accruing debt.
#2
This option creates a new North campus to serve a wider range of grades but does not include a new building in Kenmore.
- Close Firestone Park and Pfeiffer and relocate Miller South by June 2024
- Close the Ott building by June 2023
- Construct a new North campus, grades 6-12, to be completed August 2027
- Transition Jennings CLC middle school to an elementary school by August 2027
- Relocate Miller South to either Garfield CLC or Buchtel CLC by August 2024
- Move all East cluster sixth-grade students to East CLC by June 2023
- Renovate the Morley building to house STEM High School by August 2024
- Open new preschool programs in CLC elementary buildings where space is available by August 2026
- Construction of new athletic campus at Roswell Kent middle or Kenmore campus
The estimated financial impact of $125 million includes the use of $20 million in stimulus funds.
#3
This option includes a new North campus but no new building in Kenmore and would consolidate several elementary schools, including ones not yet named.
- Close Ott building by June 2023
- Close Firestone Park and Pfeiffer elementary schools and the Stewart Early Learning Program building by June 2024
- Relocate Miller South by June 2024
- Close Essex Early Learning Program building by June 2025
- Construct a new North 6-12 campus by August 2030
- Repurpose two existing elementary CLC buildings by August 2024 to house Miller South and STEM Middle
- Convert National Inventors Hall of Fame STEM middle school to a high school
- Redistrict a portion of the North cluster by June 2024
- Move all East cluster sixth-grade students to East CLC by June 2023
- Open new preschool programs in CLC elementary buildings by August 2026
- Construct a new athletic complex on the former Roswell Kent Middle campus or Kenmore campus by August 2027
- Transfer ownership of former Kenmore High to the city of Akron to repurpose as city leaders deem appropriate
This option also assumes passage of a bond issue before taking on the debt for the new North campus, so the total cost after that is only $15 million. It would save the district $2.75 million a year in maintenance and staffing costs.