WKSU News: Canton approves merger of its two high schools, Timken and McKinley

Wednesday, February 25, 2015 Canton approves merger of its two high schools, Timken and McKinley The plan will put 1,800 sophomores, juniors and seniors at McKinley, which is right next to the Pro Football Hall of Fame by WKSU's KABIR BHATIA	Reporter Kabir Bhatia

Malik Davis will graduate next year from McKinley; current students will be given a choice of which school name they want on their diplomas

Courtesy of K. Bhatia

Canton’s two high schools will be merging this fall. Timken High School will be absorbed into McKinley High School. WKSU’s Kabir Bhatia reports on the school board’s decision.

The Canton school board held its special meeting in a sparsely packed auditorium, and after some comments lauding the merger, the members unanimously

Boardmember Rich Millgan (left) was against the merger plan in the mid-90s, but says now it makes sense

approved it.

The audience then quietly filed out, and that was that. Jim Brechville thinks he knows why. Earlier this month, he attended one of the spirited community meetings about the merger.

“There were a lot of people there. And I think by tonight they knew what was going to happen and they didn't bother coming. And I'm afraid what’s going to happen is, you’re going to have a number of people just leave the Canton School District.”

A changing city
Superintendent Adrian Allison cites declining enrollment as the need for moving ninth grade to the Timken building and the upper grades to McKinley. He also says it will save the district about $1.6 million a year. Parents have written letters and even marched in the snow in protest, saying the plan will lead to gang violence, a loss of Timken’s identity and fewer academic choices. Jody Roberts went to McKinley, and her daughter goes to Timken.

“There’s been so much turmoil and chaos already in Canton City Schools. There’s worse in-school fighting. The test grades are going down. We haven’t even seen conclusive benefits to the changes that have already been proposed. Now let’s throw one more into the mix.”

Yesterday versus today
The idea of the merger was introduced about five weeks ago. In contrast, the last time Canton merged high schools – in 1976 – that process took over a year. Jody Roberts says more public meetings might have shown people that the plan makes sense financially. But it also could have shown the school board that the students need to be blended slowly.

“Did they ever call in somebody who’s a social worker and say, ‘Hey these are some really big potential problems’? You’re dealing with a student body already that’s urban, that’s gone through a lot of, perhaps, home transitions. And now you’re going to add one more? How’s that going to impact their education?

"If we’re talking about their academics and their education, is that a healthy choice? I don’t think that these things were really given the kind of attention they should have been given from the get-go.”

'Day of reckoning' in sports
One of those who agrees with her that the merger idea should have had more time for discussion is Timken alum Eric Resnick.

The audience of mostly merger supporters made little noise throughout the special school board meeting

“Today isn’t the day of reckoning. That day is coming and this is not a good development.”

Resnick has been a leader in the anti-merger movement. But he says he thinks he knows why the plan needed to be approved so quickly -- for sports.

“There are folks in this community who believe in McKinley football as sort of a religion. McKinley -- currently -- is the smallest Division I school in the state. Whatever the number is of boys, they’re only four over. So they’re deathly afraid that it’s going to drop to Division II.”

Resnick says there’s also the future expansion plans of McKinley’s famous neighbor.

“It is not a secret that the Pro Football Hall of Fame wants this school. The board and superintendent have tried to gloss over it. But it’s out in the community and we know.”

'Never a battle'
Current high school students will be allowed to choose which school name is on their diploma. Malik Davis will choose McKinley, where he’s a junior this year.

“It was never really a battle. I mean, we’re supposed to be neighboring schools and stuff. We never really were rivals. I could see if it was Massillon and McKinley and we just stole your school. But it was never really a battle. Some of the kids are going to be rebellious. Some of the kids will embrace it and just say, ‘Hey, what can we do?’”

Not all the students are resigned to the extinction of Timken High. About 100 students walked-out of classes earlier in the day to protest the merger, chanting, "Save our school” and singing the school’s alma mater in front of the administration building.

Eric Resnick says his group has consulted with an attorney but made no decision, legally.

“Maybe some things happen on the political field that won’t change the vote, but there are people who have begun to inquire about recalling board members.”

Superintendent Adrian Allison says that rival gangs currently self-segregate by picking one school or the other. He says fears of gang violence will be met head-on by adding security personnel; the merger will eliminate about 20 other positions.

Jim Brechville did his student teaching at McKinley decades ago. He says the board should have taken the decision more slowly and looked at options beyond merger.

“The school districts bordering Canton City are Osnaburg, Louisville, Plain Local, North Canton, Perry -- we have all these bordering districts. And maybe the thing to do is to look at a merger of not only schools in a city. Let's look at a merger of districts.”

Canton schools had rejected a similar merger in the mid-nineties, but the city has lost about 10,000 people since then. Gov. Kasich’s proposed budget would give the Canton City Schools $15 million more over the next two years.