Girard schools, architect meet over auditorium
GIRARD — School officials have been meeting with a local architectural firm as they continue planning for a performing arts center to be connected to the high school complex off Shannon Road.
Board of Education Chairman Mark Zuppo said Thursday board representatives and school officials met with Axiom Architects LLC of Youngstown on Feb. 6 and Feb. 20 to look at proposed designs and location ideas.
“We have not committed to anything. They are giving us ideas on the scope of the project to get our feedback. The athletic director is getting feedback from coaches. We are trying to keep everyone up to date on what we are doing,” Zuppo said.
He said in the future, there will be a public meeting about the center.
Axiom is preparing a timeline for the planned 1,000-seat performing arts auditorium to be constructed on the west side of the high school. The board previously hired Axiom at $600,000 for the design and planning of the auditorium addition. School officials said a goal is to have the project done by spring or fall 2019.
The school’s cafetorium, which has a stage, is limited on how many people can fit inside the room for school events. Graduations and other functions have been moved to the gymnasium.
In other business, board members were told the district’s in-district student enrollment has seen some decline in recent years, but open enrollment from other districts has been helping.
Superintendent David Cappuzzello said the district has received students mostly at the elementary and intermediate grade levels.
“Many families who move out of town want their children to continue attending Girard schools. They stay here through open enrollment,” he said.
Cappuzzello said the primary grades, such as kindergarten, have seen a large increase in students from other districts since all-day kindergarten was started. The district has six kindergarten teachers.
Cappuzello said the Girard kindergarten class had nearly 30 children from the Liberty Local School District. The district for some years has seen as many as 200 open enrollment students from other districts for grades kindergarten to ninth. Cappuzzello said the district does not accept students for grades 10th to 12th.
Board member Diane Alejars said there is a cap of 145 students each grade level. Board members noted the Newton Falls district and Poland district in Mahoning County are dealing with declining student numbers and looking at closing school buildings.
In other business, the board:
• Announced a bench will be dedicated in memory of police officer Justin Leo at 1 p.m. Thursday at Girard Intermediate School, where his father, David Leo, was the principal before he retired;
• Announced a food pantry will be opening shortly at Prospect Elementary in cooperation with Second Harvest Food Bank to make sure students have enough food during the week. Board member Sue Ellen Davis said Girard United Methodist Church held a chili cookoff and bake sale, raising $10,000 to help stock the food pantry;
• Will begin contract negotiations March 2 on new contracts with the Girard Education Association, which represents certified employees, and the Ohio Association of Public School Employees Local 425, which represents classified employees;
• Approved a mother-son activity night with an obstacle course and other events April 27 at the high school.
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