Dayton Daily News education reporter Scott Elliott writes about schools, kids, teaching and learning.
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Thursday, May 11, 2006
Dramatic turn of events on Roosevelt HS
This is just a quick update to clarify my earlier post, in which a source said Roosevelt High School would be saved and used as a school again. That report was based on the earliest informatin we had on this important story, and the picture of what will happen at the Roosevelt site is not that clear. It is NOT certain that the building will be saved. The possibility still remains that it could be torn down or replaced with a new building.
The school board and city are planning a Monday press conference to unveil the plan. But we are working on getting more information to you faster than that. As soon as we have more complete picture of Roosevelt’s future, I’ll post more.
UPDATE: Get updated information on Roosevelt here.
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Roosevelt will be a school again
Update: This story changed dramatically as new information came in. I’ve updated this post to reflect that. Follow the link for the latest.
Historic Roosevelt High School, which has not been used as a school since 1975, will have a school at its West Third Street site as part of a joint redevelopment plan with the city and school board as partners. The site also will house a recreation center.
The school board postponed until Monday an announcement of the deal that was to be held this morning (5/11/06). But Annie Bonaparte of the UJIMA Neighborhood Network said she has been briefed on some aspects of the plan.
UJIMA was one of two groups that proposed their own redevelopment plans. Earlier this year, UJIMA joined with the competing group, led by developer Mark Parks, to offer a joint redevelopment plan. The school board had said it would tear down the school, which opened in 1927, unless a viable plan to re-use for it was proposed.
But while the board was considering the joint plan, it found another option — a partnership with the city. Bonaparte said she strongly backs the new approach, which will incorporate some of what OJIMA pushed for at the site.
“It’s going to be good,” she said. “It’s good there’s going to be a school there. The whole fight was to do something there that would serve this community.”
Details of the financing and schedule are expected Monday.
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A decision for Roosevelt HS
UPDATE: The school board postponed its announcement until Monday. Despite the last second change, I don’t have any indication that there’s a change of plan by the district. I still hear a joint school board-city project is going to be the way they go. More later.
There is a 10:30 a.m. press conference today at which the Dayton school board will announce its plan for Roosevelt High School. A source tells me they will reject a proposal offered by a community group and a developer to turn the building into senior apartments and a community and recreation center.
But the board also will not move to tear the building down, I’m told.
Apparently, the district and the city have forged a joint agreement to redevelop the building as a school and recreation center. If true, this is a big change of direction from where the board had been headed for months.
Roosevelt, on West Third Street, has both historical and emotional significance to the community — especially to its surrounding neighborhood and the west side of the city in general. Many hope a successful redevelopment there could be a the key to revitalizing the whole area. And the possibility the school could be razed if a deal was not reached sparked wide concern throughout the community.
I’ll update with more information after the press conference.
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