Mansfield City Schools close on plan for new building with 95% of cost covered by state

Mansfield City Schools officials hope to attract 400 preschool students to their upcoming new facility.

"The emphasis is really here," Superintendent Stan Jefferson told the News Journal. "We really want to build up our pre-K program and really build up our growth in pre-K to grade 3."

At Tuesday's school board meeting, Jefferson told members about a proposed deal with the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission in which the state would pay 95% of the cost for a new pre-K-3 building.

"We are really excited," Jefferson said. "We have been working with the OFCC to look at building a new school."

The district plans to come up with remaining 5% without asking residents to approve a levy.

"It's our turn for the state to offer financing," board President Chris Elswick said. "We are going to pay for it. We are not going to ask for money."

Jefferson said the new school is part of a strategic plan to create 21st-century learning facilities.

"Many times, these plans sit on the shelf," he said. "We wanted to show our board of education and our school community that we were implementing a plan."

Mansfield City Schools last opened new building in 2004

Mansfield has not opened a new building since 2004 with the high school/junior high.

Many of the district's buildings are aging. Hedges, which houses the alternative school, was built in 1871 with an addition in 1911.

Woodland was built in 1936, followed by Prospect and Brinkerhoff in 1950, Springmill and Sherman in 1961 and Malabar in 1962.

"What we're excited about is we're going to give our kids a much better opportunity for learning in a school that is up to date," Elswick said. "Everybody else is building schools. We've got to keep up and give our kids the same opportunity to be on a level playing field."

Sherman Elementary School now houses the pre-K program with 190 students.

"What we're hoping is if we can grow this pre-K program to 400 kids, we get them in the program and they stay here," Elswick said. "That's what we're doing. We're trying to recruit."

Mansfield's five-star pre-K program is free and will remain so. With a larger school, there shouldn't be a waiting list.

"Bring your children," Jefferson said. "Bring your children."

Though the forthcoming school could house 900 students, Elswick and Jefferson each said they expect that number to be around 750.

New school will cost at least $45M

The new facility will cost at least $45 million. A location has not been set, though Jefferson said the district is focused on campuses throughout the city.

Springmill STEM School and Sherman Elementary School are on the city's north side. The high school/junior high is just west of the downtown, and Malabar Middle School is on the south side.

"We are not at that stage as of yet," Jefferson said of a location. "There is more work that we need to do."

He said the district plans to resolve talks with the OFCC by the end of April or early May.

If all goes well, ground for the new school would be broken in 2025 and the facility would open in 2027.

Jefferson said the architectural plans would take about a year, with construction taking two years.

"It's going to bring jobs here," Elswick added. "We're going to use local workers. That's one thing we insist on."

Also part of the master plan is the renovation of some existing buildings. Jefferson said the Spanish Immersion School, which is for grades K-8 and is housed at Brinkerhoff, will move to Woodland.

He added district officials have not decided what to do with the Brinkerhoff facility.

"We will continue to keep up any property that we own," he said, mentioning Newman, Prospect and John Simpson. "Those sites are going to be taken care of as if there was an actual building still there."

A second new school could be down the road

Once the new school opens, Jefferson said district officials will confer with the state about another new facility. He said if it happens, that school could house some of the district's magnet programs, such as Spanish Immersion, Springmill STEM and Tyger Digital Academy.

"Nothing is set in stone," he added.

For now, finalizing the plan with OFCC is the main priority.

Jefferson said when the new high school was built, voters were responsible for $24 million of the $53 million price tag.

That won't be an issue this time.

"I'm a voter, and I just received a big raise in my property taxes," Elswick said of not having to ask residents for more money. "I think it's a big deal, and I hope the community thinks it's a big deal."

Jefferson went back to the district's master plan.

"How can we address the issues in Mansfield City Schools and our school community that will be long-standing? I'm speaking for the next 25 years," Jefferson said.

A new pre-K-3 building would be a good start.

Jefferson said he was reminded of a quote from the Rev. Martin Luther King.

"Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?''' Jefferson quoted. "For us, our others are our students, our staff, our school families and the Mansfield community."

mcaudill@gannett.com

419-521-7219

X: @MarkCau32059251

This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Mansfield Ohio City Schools could break ground on new school in 2025