The Akron Board of Education and Akron City Council have scheduled a series of meetings to discuss the final stage of the plan to rebuild schools in the city.
The state has said that based on enrollment projections, it will only provide an additional $25 million in funding for construction of one more high school and will not help fund any more elementary or middle schools in the city.
So far, 29 buildings are completed, two (Firestone/Litchfield and Harris community learning centers) are under construction and two (Ellet and Case community learning centers) are in the design phase.
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.
School and city officials, who are partnering with the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission on the construction projects, are working on a tight timeline to make a decision about where to build the last high school in the city. If a pending enrollment projection shows another decline, the state could pull or adjust its contribution.
The hope is to make a decision about how to move forward by the end of the month. The city will then need to sell bonds in August to match the state dollars. Community planning would then begin in January, after the funding is made available.
In addition to Ellet and Firestone high schools, which are in construction, the district has completed construction and renovation at East and Buchtel. The three remaining high schools — Garfield, North and Kenmore — currently do not have plans.
Here is a list of upcoming meetings:
• 6 p.m. July 19 at Kenmore High School, 2140 13th St. SW.
• 6 p.m. July 20 at North High School, 985 Gorge Blvd.
• 6 p.m. July 21 at Garfield High School, 435 N. Firestone Blvd.
• 2 p.m. July 22 at Hyre Community Learning Center, 2385 Wedgewood Drive — a special joint meeting with Akron Council of Parent Teacher Associations.