Planning for Our Future: A Look at Stow-Munroe Falls' Facility Plans

During the month of January, the Stow-Munroe Falls City School District held two large community meetings and presented a series of proposed plans to update their aging school facilities. Developed by a building facilities committee over the course of several years, the district wanted to gather feedback from the community on their preference of master plan, school location and any additional locally funded initiatives included in the buildings. 

These facility plans are aimed at addressing the district’s small and aging elementary and middle schools, while developing a secure, modern and technologically rich learning environment for students in the district.

Outdated Buildings vs. New Opportunities

With these proposed plans the district sought to overcome a variety of challenges on their buildings that included the rising cost of maintenance on 6 elementary schools and 2 intermediate and middle schools, their limited capacity for growth and aging 1950’s designs that aren’t adequate for modern educational practices. 

The facility plans seek to remedy these by modernizing and consolidating district buildings to provide an updated learning environment, modern technology and flexible spaces to promote collaboration and engagement, as well as improved safety and security features.

Community Input Matters

At the culmination of these two community meetings, which also include results from an online survey, it was clear that most participants felt Plan C, which included the construction of 4 elementary schools and 1 new middle school, was the most favored plan. The majority identified Echo Hills, Fishcreek, Housley, Highland/Lakeview and the Kimpton sites as the preferred locations for the new schools. Additionally, many seemed to think that an auditorium was a priority in the new middle schools.

Next Steps

As next steps, the district will be reconvening with the building facility committee to incorporate these results into the formulation of the district’s master plan. Upcoming steps include finalizing the master plan, looking at financing options and ballot details throughout March, with a potential plan being presented to the Board of Education in April. 

The district continues to value your voice and currently has a form for community feedback on the master planning section of their website. If you have comments or questions please reach out!