CANTON, Ohio — Canton City Schools could see major changes throughout the district if the school board can agree on a plan and approve it.
What You Need To Know
- Board of education members will determine on Dec. 19th if there’s a viable plan to move forward with
- During a recent study session, members received additional options to consider
- Superintendent Jeffrey Talbert wants to see the district create all neighborhood K-6 elementary schools
- Moving McKinley High School downtown and expanding it is also on the table
Superintendent Jeffrey Talbert believes the changes are in the best interest of the school district, considering the different challenges the district is contending with from year to year.
One of those challenges includes a declining student population.
“We’ve lost people because of people moving out of the county as a whole,” Talbert said. “There are now more charter schools in our community that educate a large number of kids. There are also a large number of kids that are attending parochial schools.”
Still, the district is experiencing overcrowding at the high school, being landlocked by the Hall of Fame Village with no room to grow, and the additional development of the village, which he said is different from the initial plans.
“There’s going to be a sports betting complex right there on the campus just feet away from our high school. It’s an awesome thing for our community, but it does add some challenges when you’re running a high school with 1900 students and then a little over 40, 50, 60 plus doors that kids can go in and out of.”
For elementary schools, the goal would be to eliminate some schools and build new ones, while combining others, putting all elementary school programs in buildings that are 20 years old or less.
The plan will remove grade level buildings and every building will be K-6, according to Talbert. This is to assist with continued learning and development without a need to switch schools. Talbert said by adding family resource centers within or near neighborhood schools, needs can be met.
“Families can go get the things that they need, whether it’s administration, mental health support, whether it’s finding out about how to get jobs, whether there’s a food pantry there,” Talbert said.
Canton residents, like Michael Cundiff, said while he’s aware some are opposed to the changes at least to the movement of the high school because of loyalty, he just wants to see progress and believes it could bring life back to downtown. Parent Tina Stevens said hearing the plans has helped her rethink the possibility of moving her kids out of the district.
“It’s something to really think about and not only that, sometimes you just can’t give up on your community or school district and give them a chance for the betterment,” said Stevens.
While what’s been proposed so far is now one of the plans, from Talbert’s perspective, making significant changes like these does a few things. It allows the district to save millions of dollars in repairs, which allows them to be better stewards of taxpayer money. It increases walkability to the high school, closes potential learning gaps, and sets the school district up for decades to come.
