For more than a year, a special task force made up of community members, parents, teachers, community leaders, and others, has met to analyze the district’s facilities and enrollment projections to develop recommendations for the Board of Education.

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In November, this task force formally recommended a facilities plan to the district that includes:

 

• A new building for grades 5 and 6 on the Watkins Rd. campus with access from Refugee Rd.

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• An academic wing addition to Watkins Memorial High School, along with parking expansion around WMHS.

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• A community training facility and aquatic center on district-owned land on the east side of Watkins Rd. through a public-private partnership between SWL and The YMCA.

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• Reprogramming of the current Watkins Intermediate School into a K-4 elementary school.

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• Reprogramming of Etna, Kirkersville, and Pataskala South Fork into K-4 elementary schools.

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• Reprogramming of the current Watkins Middle School into a 7-8 Watkins Jr. High.

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Once complete this plan would provide enough capacity for the district through future peak enrollment, according to enrollment projections by Woolpert.​

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FAQ

“How was this plan developed?”

This plan was designed over the course of a year by a diverse facilities task force made up of parents, community members, teachers, administrators, community leaders, and partner organizations. Comprehensive data review showed that our current facilities don’t have enough space for our projected enrollment, with some buildings already over capacity. This plan provides enough capacity in each building to carry our district through its projected maximum enrollment, which also creating recreation and wellness spaces that will benefit the entire community.

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“Our buildings are new – why are we already outgrowing them?”

The 2017 building plan was a state co-funded project through the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission. As a state project, enrollment projections were completed with a fixed OFCC formula. Despite multiple pleas from SWL officials to consider their enrollment projections, the buildings were designed using the state’s projections. SWL locally-funded several changes to better accommodate future growth like upscaling common spaces and mechanical systems at the high school for a planned addition, and building a new 800-student elementary school instead of renovating the former 400-student Pataskala building.

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“Why aren’t we using the old middle school or Pataskala buildings in this plan?”

The former middle school building is being demolished as a condition of the 2017 OFCC project, as it was determined to be too costly to bring up to state minimum standards. Once Pataskala Elementary moves into the new Pataskala - South Fork Elementary building for the 2025/26 school year, the historic Pataskala building will remain open as Pataskala Bridge Academy for students with certain special needs.

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“If my property taxes are supporting construction of The Spear training facility, why do I have to pay for membership to The Y to use it?”

The Spear has been designed with multiple levels of access, including amenities open to the community at no additional cost. An outdoor splash pad, activity areas, playground, and picnic shelter will be open and available for community use. Student athletes will have access at no charge through their organized sport. Members of The Y will have access to a weight room, indoor walking track, 3 full-sized multiuse courts and programming at the pool complex. Free “Silver Sneakers” memberships are available to senior citizens on most insurance plans, and discounted Y memberships will be available to those in the SWL community. 

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Through this unique public-private partnership the Licking County Family YMCA has agreed to manage and staff this facility, including operating costs.