The joint informational meeting Monday between members of the Akron Board of Education and Akron City Council is expected to provide clarity and understanding of the school construction project, as both entities face the tough decision of where to build what could be the city’s final high school.
What is already clear is that the state will only fund a project for 1,264 high school students and that time is of the essence.
“The state has asked us for more information, which could result in a lower enrollment projection than we have now. The longer we wait to make a decision, the greater the chance we lose state funding for the project,” David James, superintendent of Akron Public Schools, said.
“The reality is enrollment is in decline. We’ve been closing buildings since we started the construction project and nothing has been done without the approval of both council and the school board or without input from the community.”
The informational meeting, scheduled for 4 p.m. at the main branch of the Akron-Summit County Library, was planned after several council members raised questions about and criticized the $800 million building plan, which initially included 58 projects but has been scaled back because of declining enrollment. The district has lost a third of its 30,000 student population since the construction project began.
The project is funded in part by a 0.25 percent increase to the city income tax that voters approved in 2003, with the state paying 59 percent toward construction and renovations of school district buildings. Based on enrollment projections, the state will no longer fund any elementary or middle schools in the city.
James said he intends to review what has been done, share the current status of the project and offer some possible options for moving forward. Those options could include smaller buildings, re-configuring the district to consolidate existing schools and placing students in buildings that are not filled to capacity.
To date, 29 projects have been completed and four are in progress.
Bettes, Firestone Park and Pfeiffer elementary schools, Roswell Kent Middle School and Miller South School of the Visual and Performing Arts have not been renovated or newly constructed.
The state will match up to $25 million to fund the remaining projected enrollment of 1,264 high school students and the amount of local funds raised via bond sales. With a projected $11 million carryover, $61 million could be available for the final phase of the construction project.
That means the city could go from seven high schools to five. Two of those buildings — Buchtel and East — have already been constructed or renovated and two more — Firestone and Ellet — are in progress.
The fact that Garfield, Kenmore and North high schools have not been touched is a point of contention for councilmen Russel Neal (Ward 4) and Donnie Kammer (Ward 7).
Kammer wants the new high school to be constructed in his ward, where Garfield High School is located. He said his constituents are upset and feel left out.
“The residents in Firestone Park were promised new schools and somebody needs to stand up and say we did promise this but things have changed and this is why and this is where we are,” Kammer said. “I understand things change, but I cannot accept that excuse about state funding as the reason schools can’t be built. It’s hard to swallow.”
Three buildings in the Garfield cluster — Glover, Voris and McEbright — have been renovated or replaced as part of the construction project.
Neal, whose ward includes the Buchtel cluster, said he is troubled that the three high schools on the sideline might be an indication of inequity in the district. Four schools in the Buchtel cluster — Crouse, Helen Arnold, Schumacher and Buchtel — have been replaced or renovated.
“I have to wonder if institutional bias has played a role in the construction of the schools, when we look at the three high schools that haven’t been constructed,” said Neal, who also questions a discrepancy in the amount of money spent at East and Buchtel compared to what is now being allocated to Firestone and Ellet.
School officials said the differences are because of an increase in construction costs. East and Buchtel community learning centers were completed in 2010 and 2012, respectively. Firestone, which is combined with Litchfield Middle School in a single building, is scheduled to open this fall. Construction is expected to begin at Ellet in the spring.
Patrick Bravo, vice president of the school board, and Marilyn Keith, president of city council, agree that things have changed since the city and school district began the construction process, including a recession, a loss in property values and declines in school enrollment and the city’s population.
They said the goal now should be to move forward in the most fiscally responsible way that ensures every student is in a new or newer building.
“Thirteen years ago, we had an enrollment that looked stable, but things have changed. I understand that it is devastating if a school isn’t being built in your neighborhood. But, in reality, we are serving all of the children of Akron,” Keith said.
Keith and James said they expect the final phase of the construction plan to continue to be open, with community meetings to gather input and joint meetings between school and city officials, who will make the final decisions on all building plans.
“I know that people are passionate about their neighborhoods,” James said. “But ultimately the dollars and the resources have a louder voice.”
Colette Jenkins can be reached at 330-996-3731 or cjenkins@thebeaconjournal.com. She can be followed at www.twitter.com/ColetteMJenkins.