JOHNSTOWN, Ohio — While Intel’s plans in Licking County are being pushed back some, communities there are still hard at work to make sure they’re ready when the multi-billion-dollar plant is running, and that includes school districts who are gearing up for the possibility of thousands of more students.
What You Need To Know
- Johnstown-Monroe Schools is gearing up for the possibility of thousands more students with Intel moving to the area
- Superintendent Philip Wagner says they are expecting the student population to nearly triple
- The district is adding a new addition to the high school to help support new students coming to the area
That’s why Johnstown-Monroe Schools are laying out their plans now.
“We're doing two things,” Superintendent Philip Wagner explained. “One is where we're preparing for growth just in general. The other is the quality of the program or the diversity of offerings.”
But as the district awaits that growth, Wagner says something unexpected happen. To make way for new businesses, he says 100 homes have recently been demolished.
“So, our enrollment really has been fluctuating more than we expected,” he said. “However, we know that's not our future, and we know we're going to grow.”
Wagner says the school district currently educates 1,700 students, but they’re preparing for that number to nearly triple.
In doing so, the district has a new addition under construction at the high school where six new classrooms will go in August.
“When we add this addition,” Wagner said, “this will add another 150 students.”
But while the growth has yet to be seen, Wagner says intel’s delays are making the job easier.
“The delay that's happening with Intel and some of the others really just gives us more time to get ready,” he said.
Wagner also says they’ll eventually turn the current high school into a middle school and build a brand-new high school as the district continues to expand.
