There was standing room only at the Oct. 6 council meeting. The residents were there to gather information on the project that Nina Rawls has presented to the community and Superintendent William Stauffer. Her goal is to open a charter or magnet school, the Lou Rawls Academy, in the vacant Lakemore Elementary School.
The community members listened as Rawls, a Lakemore native, explained the details of the anticipated project.
“We are leaning toward a magnet school,” said Rawls.
According to Rawls, a magnet school people accepted children from surrounding areas. “If they come, they will move here and that will increase enrollment in the Springfield Schools.” she said.
Lakemore children would have the first opportunity to enroll before it would be open to other communities. The school would be much like a private school however, there is no tuition charged to students.
“I received a phone call from my brother (Lakemore resident George Malek) stating that Lakemore School was going to be closed. The Lou Rawls Foundation is dedicated to education and we thought this would be an opportunity to help here and reopen Lakemore School,” said Rawls.
“There would be many opportunities not just for Lakemore but also for the Springfield School system,” she said. “It will be a top-notch academy.”
Rawls said the children would be challenged and the school would help children any way they could including helping parents to help their children.
One resident stated that the school would create healthy competition for the schools to do a better job. “It would affect the entire school district and the entire district will come up because they have to compete. Even those that do not have the desire to send their children to the charter school would push for the charter school because it can only help their children in the public schools. Just think about it. It puts pressure on the charter school and the public schools to do a better job. This will make them do the job that they are supposed to do in the first place.”
“The Springfield classrooms are crowded and the teachers have to be overworked,” said Councilperson Marlene Hill.
“I can’t see a downside to this. I can’t,” said Rawls.
“This is an opportunity we need to wrap our arms around,” said Mayor Mike Kolomichuk. “If we have been presented with this opportunity and we do not take advantage of everything then we have shortchanged every single child that could potentially be a student at this school,” he added.
“It can only benefit the area,” said Rawls.
Presentations were made by, candidate for Summit County Prosecutor, Nancy Mercurio Morrison and also a video presentation by the Ohio Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park committee.
Kolomichuk said the village is looking at across the board cuts due to the decrease in revenues to the village. A reduction in property taxes because of the decreases in property value has lead to less tax dollars coming in.
Police Chief, Ken Ray reported they do not at this time have the answer as to who took the Doughboy but are working on it. He also announced that Trick or Treat is Oct. 31 from 6 - 8 p.m.
Lakemore Fire Department Captain Bruce George reported the department has a new Web site, www.lakemoreoh-fire.org.
Hill announced that there would be a fundraiser to help fund the Mayor’s trip to India. The fundraiser is Munchies with Mike and will be held at the Firehouse Grill Sunday Nov. 2 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The Summit County Mayor’s Association pays for much of the Economic Trade Mission.
“I would rather have a fundraiser than to ask council to come up with the money. We have a lot to offer with property here for development. Bringing these opportunities and investors here can breath life back into the area,” Kolomichuk stated.
