An Akron Public Schools redistricting proposal that would close Firestone Park Elementary School, redistributing its students, would also close Essex and Stewart, both early learning programs, and move students across clusters in elementary and middle school.
The proposal, unveiled to residents for the first time today, will be voted on by the school board in January after a month of resident feedback. Three meetings are planned, including one tonight at 6:30 p.m. at North High School.
In an emailed statement announcing the proposal, Superintendent Michael Robinson Jr. said the district needed to “achieve a balance” in its schools.
“For years in our city, while we were busy rebuilding our inventory and consolidating our footprint, population changes created new challenges we must meet,” he said. “We must address our building capacity in the midst of a diverse yet declining population throughout our city.”
Robinson acknowledged in the statement that the impact of the changes “can be significant.” He said the closures and redrawing of lines, if approved by the school board, would mean more students going to school in new community learning centers.
Council member concerned about closure, wants Firestone Park to remain open
City Council Member Donnie Kammer, who represents Ward 7, the area around Firestone Park Elementary School, said he asked the district to keep Firestone Park open for another year but was rebuffed. Kammer said he was concerned about the impact on the community, including a business district that depends on foot traffic from teachers, if the building is closed.
“I have nothing nice to say about that,” Kammer told Signal Akron previously of the proposed closure. “I believe the school should continue to stay open.”
Kammer also questioned the amount of notice residents received about the district’s intentions. Maps that included the proposed new boundaries weren’t sent until hours before the first community meeting, and the meetings themselves were announced two days before the first one was scheduled, during the busy holiday season.
“They’re putting together three meetings within a week? They’re not really getting community input,” he said. “It doesn’t look good.”
If Firestone Park does close, the proposal would send students there to the McEbright, Voris or Glover community learning centers in the Garfield cluster of schools. Kindergarten students at Essex, who were moved there because there wasn’t enough room for them at the Harris-Jackson Community Learning Center, would return to Harris-Jackson. Barber CLC’s district would expand to take over much of the eastern area of the current Harris-Jackson zoning.
Additionally, the David Hill CLC would move from the East cluster to the Garfield cluster. Firestone Park students would have the option to attend there.
Fifth graders graduating from David Hill will attend the Innes CLC under the proposal, instead of the East CLC. Middle school students in the Harris-Jackson area who attend the Jennings CLC will also be redistricted to the East CLC under the plan. And students at the Portage Path CLC would rejoin the Buchtel CLC instead of attending the Litchfield CLC.
Stewart, which only has pre-Kindergarten students, won’t be part of the offerings for the coming year. Families who hoped to send students there will be able to sign up elsewhere in the district. A spokesperson for the district, Mark Williiamson, said the number of pre-Kindergarten spaces would not be reduced with the school’s closure.
High school students will be able to stay at their current school automatically, despite the redistricting. Akron has open enrollment, allowing students to attend schools other than the ones to which they’re assigned.
Students affected by redistricting will be able to apply for enrollment in other schools between Jan. 29 and Feb. 9. Those who opt into open enrollment won’t be provided bus transportation; others who are reassigned will receive transportation to school if they have to travel more than 2 miles to attend.
Barbara Sykes, a newly elected school board member who takes office in January, told Signal Akron previously that she thought the district had been thoughtful in moving students around. She said she intended to listen to feedback from residents before the January vote on the new district lines.
In addition to tonight’s meeting at 6:30 p.m. at North High School at 985 Gorge Blvd. in Akron, subsequent meetings will be held Monday at 6:30 p.m. in the Firestone Park Elementary School auditorium at 1479 Girard St. in Akron and Dec. 14 at 6:30 p.m. at the East Community Learning Center auditorium at 80 Brittain Road in Akron.
Robinson, in his statement, said population changes and building closures over 20 years led to the decision to redraw school boundaries. He said residents’ voices were “very important to this process” and urged them to share their thoughts.
“As Akron changes, we must change with it so that we maximize the educational opportunities for our scholars,” he said.
Editor’s note — The story was changed to reflect that Essex is an early learning program and no longer an elementary school.
