The halls of North High School are still vivid in Carmenina Ruiz’s memory.
Decades after graduating in 1984, Ruiz, 59, said she could walk back inside and find her old locker without thinking. The chant comes back to her: “We are the Vikings, the mighty, mighty Vikings.”
Ruiz said it was the teachers who left the biggest impact. She recalled one teacher, Mr. Way, her social studies teacher, who taught with a visible disability that he never let limit him.
“He had a passion for teaching,” she said. “He made learning comfortable. When teachers can make learning fun, that’s half the battle.”
Those experiences, Ruiz said, shaped her confidence and her appreciation for education — something she later carried into her own life as a parent.
But those North High School halls she remembers so well are about to disappear.
A new North High School will rise on the existing site
In February, Akron Public Schools approved the next phase of the $85 million project to build a new North High School. Construction is expected to begin in 2027, with the new building opening in the 2029–30 school year.
The new building will be designed to hold about 1,100 students, up from its current 900, as enrollment in the North Hill neighborhood grows, said Debra Foulk, the district’s executive director of business affairs.
The project is funded by a combined levy approved by voters in November of 2024. It will use a “self-swing” construction process, meaning the old building will remain in use while the new building is built on the east side of the property.
Part of the existing 1970s structure, including the gym, will be renovated and reused.
“There will be some noise and distractions, but safety is the top priority,” said Chuck Morrison, North’s principal. “Construction areas will be fenced off, and measures will be in place to keep students separated from those spaces.”
School leaders are in the final stages of planning after the board approved a design by Hasenstab Architects and Moody Nolan.
Teachers’ needs collide with budget limits
Balancing space needs with budget constraints remains a challenge.
“We have a basic idea, but we’re still figuring out the best way to get it done,” Morrison said.
Corey Dentler, a chemistry teacher who has taught at North since 2011, said having an updated lab is critical.
“We would definitely need new gas lines and updated lab materials,” Dentler said. “Having proper storage for equipment and safer, more organized spaces would make a big difference.”
Dentler said the current building is usable but not ideal, noting that aging infrastructure — including older gas lines — can limit classroom functionality.
Rebuilding North will complete the district’s North Hill facilities plan, Foulk said, noting that other schools in the cluster have already been rebuilt.
Strong memories draw graduates back to North High School
One suggestion that emerged from community surveys — which gathered input from teachers, staff, students and district families — was to preserve parts of the existing building, including the gym.
The space has long been a center of school pride, filled with the sounds of cheering crowds and walls lined with photos and posters depicting the jerseys of past athletes. One of those jerseys belongs to Danyelle Love, 52, who is a 1991 graduate and a former basketball player.
“Today’s dreamers, tomorrow’s achievers, friends forever,” she said, recalling her class motto.
Love helped lead North to multiple championships, both as a player and later as a coach. A poster depicting her jersey still hangs in the gym, a reminder of the victories she helped bring to North.
She said the school also supported her through some of her toughest times as a teenager.
“North was more than a school — it taught me how to give back to the community,” Love said. “It shaped who I am today. Without my fellow students, teachers and counselors, I don’t think I would have achieved what I have.”
The auditorium is another space where the school’s legacy was built — this time through the arts.
Memories on stage, eyes on the future
For Jean Hudson, a 1976 graduate, those moments remain among her most vivid memories. Now 67, Hudson said she was involved in choir and the swim team, but it was performing on stage that stood out.
“We had a lot of fun putting it together and being on stage in front of everybody,” she said, recalling productions such as “Jesus Christ Superstar” and “110 in the Shade.” “Being able to act as somebody you weren’t — that was fantastic.”
Hudson said she and her classmates try to stay in touch, though it can be difficult with a class of about 400 people. The North class of 1976 is planning its 50th reunion this September, bringing classmates back together decades after graduation.
Looking ahead, Kara Hunter, the school’s choir director and student council adviser, said the new building could expand those opportunities.
“I’m excited about the possibilities — it’s going to be awesome for our students,” Hunter said. “It will give us more space and updated equipment.”
The new layout would allow for more consistent rehearsals without other classes passing through the area, she said.
Upgraded facilities — including new choir risers, dedicated storage space and improved acoustics — could help attract more students and expand participation in music programs.
Preserving the past
Preserving the school’s legacy — including its athletic achievements — is also part of the transition. Students are working to digitally document the history of North High School before the building is replaced.
Joseph Walder, a programming and software development teacher, said the effort will help create a virtual museum of the school’s history.
“We’re talking about 75 years of trophies,” Walder said. “There’s just not enough space to display all of them, which is why we’re trying to preserve them digitally.”
“It’s important to keep those memories and the pieces that connect past generations,” Morrison said.
