Shovels hit the dirt Thursday morning at the site of the former Kenmore High School as Akron Public Schools leaders and students joined community members to mark the start of construction on a new dual-school campus.
Students from Pfeiffer Elementary and Miller South School for the Visual and Performing Arts, the two schools that will be joined in one new building, wore orange or white construction helmets and wielded ceremonial golden shovels as they helped move a portion of the ceremonial pile of earth in front of them.
The $76 million campus is expected to open in August 2028. District leaders and residents say the new schools represent a long-awaited investment in the neighborhood and a chance to expand access to programs such as the arts.
Martha Keeler, a Kenmore High School graduate who also attended Pfeiffer, said she wanted to see investment return to the neighborhood.
“Kenmore’s lost so many schools,” Keeler said. “It’s great to see this here.”
Loretta Smith, who grew up in the area, said she hopes students take full advantage of the opportunities the new campus will offer.
“I have a granddaughter who went to Miller South, and she learned a lot about theater,” Smith said.
Other residents attended the event to support students.
Taylor Buchanan, who works with students at First Glance Student Center, said bringing the two schools together could make programs like the one at Miller South feel more accessible to a wider group of children.
She attended alongside Taylor Rahe, a Kenmore resident and fellow First Glance staff member who has advocated for the project.
“I’ve been showing up to board meetings because I wanted to see this happen,” Rahe said. “This is a win for our community.”
Rahe said she hopes her children will one day attend schools in Kenmore. She also said that expanded arts programming could strengthen community connections.
Connecting Kenmore’s past to its future
The project is part of a broader effort to reinvest in the Kenmore neighborhood, Superintendent Mary Outley said during the event.
“The Kenmore community has a proud, resilient spirit,” she said. “Today, we are giving this community two new schools … and delivering a promise that every child will have access to a world-class education.”
Board of Education President Barbara Sykes placed the project within a broader historical context, pointing to the legacy of South High School and George C. Miller, the district’s first Black principal, whose daughters attended the ceremony.
“We can’t think about the future unless we continue to learn about the past,” she said.
Plans for the current Miller South school site, on the former South High School campus, have not yet been finalized, though district leaders said the building will be demolished.
“We don’t have any formal plans yet for the land, but the building will come down,” said Akron Board of Education member Gregory Harrison. “That is a promise to the community — that we will not leave an empty school building in the neighborhood.”
The new campus is expected to strengthen the community and better support students while also helping expand enrollment.
“We’re moving in a positive direction, making sure our kids have what they need to learn and thrive,” said Angela Carter, the district’s executive director of school leadership.
A new chapter for Akron Public Schools’ students and staff
Mia Chalupsky, 11, a Miller South student, said she likes the idea of a new building, though it will be a bit farther from her home.
Other Miller South students said they are looking forward to the change but will miss parts of their current school. Maisie Cook, 10, said she will miss backstage areas filled with signatures from past performances.
Educators said the new building was designed with input from teachers to better support student learning.
Maggie Zapp, an intervention specialist at Miller South, said staff helped design classroom and program spaces, including areas tailored for arts instruction, and that she is excited to serve more students as special education services expand.
Tina McIntyre, principal of Pfeiffer Elementary, said during the ceremony that the new building is expected to improve the learning environment for students across both schools.
“This building will be more than classrooms, hallways and walls,” McIntyre said. “It will be a place where students discover their passions and develop the skills they need for the future.”
Piano teacher Gwen Hayes said the expanded space could allow more students to participate in music.
“It’s the security of a good building, but also the possibility for these kids to just shine,” Hayes said, adding that she hopes to one day have 88 students in the program (she currently has 22) — one for each piano key, a goal that reflects the growing opportunities the new space could bring.
