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VIENNA -- Currie Elementary School is scheduled to close at the end of the current school year, and Mathews school officials are reviewing options of what to do with the building, which is located in Fowler.
The board of education had a work session Thursday at Baker Elementary School in Vienna, where the Currie Elementary K-2 students will be housed starting in the 2024-25 year.
Some of the ideas discussed included installing a park and playground at the 17-acre school site, an indoor soccer facility, housing a preschool in the building or possible sale / demolition of the school. Board members said they need more time to review options and costs involved.
Board President Beth Haddle said she would like to see how much it would cost to demolish the building.
"We need to do more research before we make a decision," she said
Board member Ken Wallace said another option is to see if township or Trumbull County officials would be interested in the building for some type of government purpose.
Resident Courtney Neiss, who was among the 15 people at the meeting, suggested a possible park be located at the property for soccer fields, a playground and indoor activities inside the school. Neiss said in Howland, the township park property is owned by the Howland school district and is overseen by a board of park commissioners.
Board member Michele Garman said if a park is located at the site, there would be concerns of security and upkeep. Officials said the property off Ridge Road also could be auctioned off.
NEXT SCHOOL YEAR
With the start of the 2024-25 school year, students in grades K-2 will move from Currie to Baker Elementary School, which now houses grades 3 through 5.
Currie / Baker Principal Mike King said the more than 135 students at Currie would join the students at Baker for a total of 300 students in grades K-5 in the school next year.
King said the current all-purpose room that serves as a gymnasium and cafeteria can house 120 students at a time for lunch, so there will be three staggered lunch periods next year.
McQuaide said work is being done at Baker to accommodate the additional students and staff from Currie next year.
WHAT HOWLAND
DID
Howland Schools Superintendent Kevin Spicher attended the meeting to explain what Howland did with North Road Intermediate School when it was no longer needed and was closed and auctioned.
Spicher said the district has five schools after North Road was closed. The board approved the closing in 2019 and after reviewing different options, a public auction of the building and its contents took place in 2022.
He said the North Road school of 43,600-square feet was on a 12-acre site. During its last year, North Road School housed fifth graders who are now at the middle school.
Spicher said the top bidder for the school at the time was Ohio Historical Building Preservation Company, but he said Accels Schools LLC was the organization that wanted to put a charter school in the building. He said that led to a long court battle against the school district, which was against the charter school's plans. Spicher said the case was later dismissed in favor of Howland schools.
He said he wanted Mathews officials to be aware of what situations can arise with the sale of a school building.
McQuaide said the situation in Howland is now very similar to what Mathews is facing. The board plans to further discuss options at its Nov. 21 meeting.