Board removes Wooster High from consideration for administrative campus, directs pursuit of commercial sites

The Board of Trustees voted June 23 to remove Earl Wooster High School from consideration as the site of a consolidated administrative headquarters and directed staff to investigate acquisition of existing commercial properties that could be reconfigured to house district central offices.

Chief Operating Officer Adam Searcy said his office had compared the 9th Street site and the Wooster campus on four criteria — time to benefit, operational efficiency, disruption to students and fiscal stewardship — and found 9th Street more favorable across most factors. Searcy recommended focusing an expedited, time‑limited search for off‑site commercial properties (a primary building target roughly 70,000 gross sq ft) and returning to the board for purchase approval or, if none are found in the search window, reconsidering the 9th Street property.

Searcy said alternatives could include a mixed approach (one new build plus acquisition and renovation of existing buildings) or purchase and renovation of a single suitably sized commercial property; sale proceeds from a vacated 9th Street property could offset project costs. The board discussed tradeoffs including potential parking and traffic impacts at Wooster, construction disruption, and the importance of department reunification and adjacency between complementary functions.

Vice President Woodly moved the motion to remove Wooster from AFMP consideration and direct the superintendent to pursue commercial property options; Trustee Westlake seconded. The board approved the motion unanimously and asked staff to return with findings and any recommended purchase actions.