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Pickerington Schools to purchase land
(by Kim Lunsford, staff writer - March 09, 2010)
The Pickerington Local School board voted Monday evening to purchase 60 acres of real estate adjacent to the Pickerington High School Central facility.
The district is following its 10-year facilities master plan to expand the high schools and other facilities.
The land will cost the district about $1.5 million. Board member Lori Sanders said the funds for this purchase were included in the bond issue passed five years ago that allowed the district to build the Toll Gate facilities.
"Money was set aside for this land purchase," Sanders said.
Board President Lee Gray said the funds are from permanent improvement dollars reserved for capital improvements and cannot be used for operating expenses.
In other news, Superintendent Karen Mantia introduced the Teaching and Learning Department, which will create a strategic plan with P-21, Partnership for 21st Century Skills, to improve the district's curriculum.
P-21 is a national organization that pushes for 21st century readiness for students, providing tools and resources to help the U.S. education system keep up with a constantly changing global economy.
"This is a daunting task," Curriculum Coordinator Sandy Meigel said. "It takes a great deal of planning and implementation."
Meigel said the district is looking to create a partnership with the community that would include input from a wide-range of community members, allowing the district to base the curriculum on what the students will need for the future.
"It needs to represent all the different needs of our community," she said.
Mantia said the district has an obligation to the students and will include them in discussions on what is needed to follow the new P-21 program. There will be students coming to lunch with Mantia March 12 to open a dialog about their future.
"I want to know what they think their world looks like," Mantia said.
On March 22 at 6:30 p.m., the district will hold its State of the Schools Address in the Performing Arts Center of Pickerington High School North at 7800 Refugee Road. The keynote speaker will be Superintendent Karen Mantia with special guest speaker, Ken Kay, president of Partnership for 21st Century Skills.
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