MANSFIELD — The Mansfield City Schools board of education voted unanimously Tuesday to close its building at 240 Euclid Avenue at the end of the 2023-2024 school year.
The former home of Brinkerhoff Elementary, the building currently houses Mansfield Spanish Immersion School (MSI). MSI will relocate to the Woodland Elementary building beginning in academic year 2024-2025.
Woodland Elementary will in turn be dissolved, and Woodland students will relocate to Springmill STEM Elementary and John Sherman Elementary.
Supt. Stan Jefferson said the district administration hasn’t yet determined whether students will be assigned a school based on boundary maps. He said ideally, families will be able to decide which Mansfield school their child attends.
John Sherman Elementary will remain a K-2nd grade building. Springmill STEM will remain a K-6th grade building. Malabar Intermediate will still educate students in grades 3-6. The district’s hybrid option, Tyger Digital Academy, will continue educating students in kindergarten thru 12th grade.
Closure comes just two school years after Prospect
Jefferson proposed abandoning Brinkerhoff during a board meeting last month. The superintendent told board members the closure will lead to more efficient use of district spaces, reduce heating and cooling bills and eliminate costly repairs for the aging building.
He also said combining Woodland with the district’s other elementary schools will allow educators to better collaborate and share resources, but that staffing wouldn’t change.
The administration will work with the Mansfield School Employees Association (MSEA) to reassign teachers from Woodland within the district.
“Jefferson has promised there will be no RIF (reduction in force) of teachers or support staff, so nobody will be losing their jobs,” said MSEA President Brad Strong.
The decision to close Brinkerhoff comes less than two years after the district voted to close Prospect Elementary for the 2022-2023 school year. Jefferson recommended the closure due to shrinking enrollment and the high cost of needed repairs at the building.
“It’s always sad when we close a building down, but we’ve got to best utilize our resources to meet the needs of our community,” Strong said.
“It’s a sign of the times. We have fewer kids.”
Future of Brinkerhoff building unknown
Prospect was torn down this summer, but Jefferson said Brinkerhoff isn’t necessarily destined for demolition.
He did say the district will continue to maintain the site as it does at Prospect.
“Go past Prospect. We still cut the grass. We still shovel the snow off the sidewalks. We take care of our property,” Jefferson said.
“The (Brinkerhoff) building we be there. We may use it again,” he added.
“At one point, Hedges was closed. They reopened it. Brinkerhoff was closed. They reopened it. We don’t know what we’re going to do with it but we’re going to take care of it. People live in that neighborhood, so we need to do what’s right.”
Board recognizes district PBIS team
Also during Tuesday’s meeting, Behavior Analyst Dahni Reynolds gave an overview of the district’s statewide Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (PBIS) recognition.
Reynolds said staff and students have reported a more positive school climate in annual surveys, while families indicate increased positive experiences with the schools.
The district recently received state recognition for its implementation of PBIS, an evidence-based framework designed to support students and promote good behavior.
Reynolds said only 17 of the state’s 606 public school districts have received the award.
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The district began unifying its approach to PBIS in 2019, creating district and building teams to lead its implementation.
Reynolds commended the work of the district PBIS team, which includes Josie Burns, Alexis Briggs, Raymel Early, Nancy Shramko, Liz Donahue, Suzanna Grubaugh, Bernie Redman and Jennifer Uhde.
“These are individuals that every month show up, every month give their time and in not just during the school day,” Reynolds said.
“They are working after hours, before hours. They’re working on days off. These are the individuals that make this happen.”
The board also voted to approve various personnel items and a memorandum of understanding with Third Street Family Health Services to employ one community health worker at Mansfield Middle School. The position will be funded by the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce’s Stronger Connections grant.