Farmland around the Marysville School District that used to pump out corn will likely be responsible for pushing a new crop of students in the Marysville School District over the next 10 years.
With seven multi-family housing projects underway and another five planned for single-family units, the Journal-Tribune article about a nearly 700-home development eying the city’s west side has district officials ready to take a fresh look at available capacity in the schools. Superintendent Diane Allen told the board of education Thursday night that a space study completed a few years ago will need updated.
“We feel that survey needs revisited,” Allen said.
The reason is that the study showed that the district would have enough capacity for students for the next 10 years, based on growth information at the time. That projection worked well, according to Allen, because the district is scheduled to be debt free in 2029, well ahead of the projected need for new buildings.
But a recent housing boom in Marysville is casting doubts on that timeline.
Apartment, condo and single-family home construction has popped up on all sides of the community, but developers have downplayed the impact on the schools. The most recent project to surface, however, makes no mistake that it will result in hundreds of new students coming into the district.
The Marysville Planning Commission recently approved a sketch plan for Stillwater Farms Development, a proposed 686-home development on 200 acres on Route 245.
The development plan calls for 150 rental units, 168 townhomes, 236 single-family homes and 132 patio-homes. The plan currently shows three commercial out lots and about 45 acres of green space.
Officials have estimated the entire subdivision will add about 308 children to the Marysville school district.
“That obviously is a concern to our system,” Allen said.
On top of updating the enrollment projection study, Allen said Director of Operations Ryan Walker will make a presentation next month about the feasibility of building on various district owned properties, including the site of the existing Bunsold Middle School.
Allen said Walker will also touch on the feasibility of converting the former East Elementary School, which now serves a variety of community needs at the Hope Center, back into a working school. A small section of the building currently hosts a handful of students as the district’s Tri-Academy.
Allen said the Hope Center remains a district asset and is leased to the Hope Center. Still, she feels costs involved with preparing to building to host a full capacity of students again would be prohibitive to that option.
Allen said the booming growth in the area has led her to reach out to city officials to seek more communication on future building projects.
“There’s no way to communicate too much,” Allen said.
Allen, who already sits on a community group on housing strategies, said she and City Administrator Terry Emery have agreed to meet monthly to discuss proposed growth in the area.
Emery said the stress created on the schools is always considered when developers come calling.
“Whether we like it or not, this is going to be a growth region in the Columbus area,” Emery said.
Allen said she understands fully that the schools are not involved in the city decision making process, but every move Marysville makes in terms of housing, impacts student enrollment. Allen said school officials just want to be involved in the conversations about growth “so we can create strategies.”
Outside of monthly meetings with Allen, Emery said the city will be placing a school representative into a position on the planning commission which is currently open. Emery said the position is not set aside by city code for a school official, but the candidate meets qualifications and has relevant experience.
He said area residents also need to remember that these developments will not materialize overnight. He said the Stillwater Farms development will not be completed for at least eight years.
“In five to eight years, think what this community will be like,” Emery said. “These things don’t happen in a year or two.”