Dayton Daily News education reporter Scott Elliott writes about schools, kids, teaching and learning.
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Friday, May 12, 2006
Surprise ending — wrecking ball for Roosevelt
After a few twists and turns yesterday, we learned finally that the Dayton Board of Education will pass on a developer’s proposal to rehabilitate historic Roosevelt High School for community use. Instead, the board will tear down the school and partner with the city to build a new building on the West Third Street site.
The new building apparently will resemble Roosevelt and it will contain a school, along with a recreation center and space for community programs. Details are due to be released Monday and officially nobody is talking so specifics are sketchy at this point.
This brings tan end to more than two years of discussions and agonizing about what to do with Roosevelt. The massive building was in serious disrepair and costly to maintain even empty. The board has been seeking to get rid of it, either by finding a developer to rehabilitate it or by tearing it down.
A developer, Mark Parks, came with a plan and some financing, but it seems the board felt a new structure was a better option. I think it’s fair to say this is a surprise ending to the drama. Most figured either it was going to be rehabilitated or torn down. The idea of returning a school to the site, for instance, has not been seriously discussed publicly in months.
What do you think of this turn of events?
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