Springmill Learning Center might continue to serve students in some capacity during the 2014-15 school year but not at its present staffing level.
Support for Springmill was voiced repeatedly Tuesday afternoon during a joint meeting of the Mansfield City Schools Board of Education and the Financial Planning and Supervision Commission. The commission was created by law to develop a financial recovery plan for MCS after the district was placed in fiscal emergency last fall.
Superintendent Brian Garverick, who repeatedly has described Springmill as “an outstanding hands-on educational facility,” had said earlier that financial constraints would prevent its use next year, except as a site for teacher professional development sessions.
For the last three years Springmill has been the location of the district’s outdoor education program for fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders. It also has a ropes course, climbing walls, science and math study galleries and a bird study area.
The district spent more than $3 million in permanent improvement money to develop Springmill.
Commission member Mark Brunn of Mansfield noted that the financial recovery plan adopted by the commission Tuesday does not mention Springmill.
“However,” he said, “there is the assumption that Springmill is being closed because all of its teachers and support staff are part of the reduction in force or are being reassigned.”
Commission chair Paul Marshall said no one has proposed the closing of Springmill.
Board of education member Chris Elswick asked: “At the start of school next year Springmill Learning Center will be locked? Is that correct?”
“That is not correct,” said board president Renda Cline. “As I have discussed with Mr. (Brad) Strong, we need to utilize Springmill for more of our students. We’ve had a decrease in usage but an increase in staff.”
Springmill currently has five teachers and three support personnel.
“I have been on the board three years and have never seen a plan to utilize that building more fully,” Cline said. “I’m not saying turn off the lights and lock the doors. But we need to utilize the building for more of our students. We need to look at things differently. Are we using Springmill properly? The answer is no.”
Jill Haring, the other local member of the commission, said Springmill is important as the district moves toward emphasizing STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) courses.
“I encourage the board to share Springmill with all of our students,” she said.
Board member Dina Davis contrasted the cost of staffing Springmill at its current level with cuts being made in classroom teachers throughout the district.
“We’re spending half a million dollars a year for the Springmill staff. I have a problem cutting teachers in classrooms who are teaching six or seven periods a day with what we are doing at Springmill,” Davis said. “I would like to see our classroom teachers be the facilitators on field trips to Springmill. We are $3.6 million in the hole. I’m concerned about that.”
Brunn said he was glad to see board support of Springmill and asked who would be responsible for developing a plan to continue utilizing the facility for students to some extent.
“Brian, is that something you would oversee?” he asked Garverick.
“Sure, as we look to the future,” Garverick said.
Among those who spoke in support of continued use of Springmill was Dr. Dawn Kitchen, an associate professor of anthropology at Ohio State University-Mansfield.
“I do want to help the district and keep teachers in classrooms,” she said. “I agree that we need a plan for Springmill Learning Center. Nine people there is too many but we need at least two teachers there. I would volunteer to help two teachers there and I would get other volunteers from OSU.”
While a plan for continued use of Springmill remains uncertain, Marshall left the door open to discussion.
“The commission needs something more specific regarding Springmill Learning Center,” he said.