AKRON, Ohio — Akron Public Schools will break ground on the new Pfeiffer Miller South Pre-K through eighth-grade building project at the former Kenmore High School campus next Thursday at 11 a.m.
Both schools will share the cafeteria, auditorium/theater and gym for regular educational activities and community events.
“We are reformulating this property to include the Pfeiffer Elementary School student population and the Miller South Performing Arts school population,” said Debra Foulk, the district’s executive director of business affairs. “We’re just excited that this is an opportunity we can offer this community.”
If you’ve been around Akron long enough, then you may remember the location of the former high school.
Now, the new schools will be in a different location.
Meanwhile, the old high school property will serve as an area for green space, parking and two playgrounds.
“We needed to make sure that we could house everything on this property,” said Foulk.
For some, this new Pre-K through eighth-grade development may be surprising after we recently told you about the district’s proposed budget cuts and our partners at the Akron Beacon Journal recently shared a revised report.
RELATED: Akron taxpayers call for transparency as district faces $11M in budget cuts
But Foulk said the estimated $76 million project has been a work in progress since July 2023, thanks to feedback from students, parents and school leaders like Tina McIntyre, who is the principal of Pfeiffer Elementary School.
“We’re happy where we’re at. We’re doing what we need to do. We’re teaching our kids. They’re getting the instruction they need. But to have that new building, we’re all excited,” said McIntyre.
McIntyre told News 5 she wanted a space where students and staff could creatively learn together to set everyone up for success.
In the meantime, Miller South Principal Regina Anderson said she asked for updated state-of-the-art classrooms to support her performing arts students.
“We are in an older building and there’s different needs, so like we don’t have dressing rooms for those kids, or we don’t have space where they can kind of really engage with the space to put on the best performances that they can, so we’re looking for that state-of-the-art space,” said Anderson.
News 5 asked Foulk if the district is hopeful this new development will help boost enrollment.
“Having a new building that offers upgraded technology, upgraded seating of space use will also be attractive to the student population that still lives within this area,” said Foulk.
News 5 also asked about the district’s finances, and in an email response, a spokesperson said, “We are unable to discuss future financial plans with any real detail. These discussions are still being sorted out by our board and will be approved and publicly shared in April/May 2026.”
