Warren school board to start moving administrative offices

STAFF report

WARREN — The Warren Board of Education will begin almost immediately to move its administrative and professional offices into the its new building at High Street and North Park Avenue downtown, after purchase of the former Trumbull Savings and Loan building Tuesday.

The board purchased the building near the county courthouse plus some contents for $1.5 million. It will become home to 100 school-district employees now housed in the administrative offices on Monroe Street Northwest and the professional center and food-service offices at Reserve Middle School on Loveless Avenue Southwest.

The school district said that the former Trumbull Savings building is “an incredible match for the district’s needs, and it should serve as a catalyst for stronger revitalization of the downtown Warren area.”

The move means that the district no longer will need the Reserve building, which once was home to Western Reserve High School. Reserve is likely to be demolished sometime after the current school year ends, said Aaron Schwab, communications coordinator.

The district had considered renovating the Reserve building but decided against it because of the cost — more than $2.3 million.

Other buildings also will close at the end of the year in anticipation of the opening of the new Jefferson and McGuffey K-8 buildings.

The district will pay for the former Trumbull Savings building using $625,000 from the Permanent Improvement Fund and $875,000 financed over 10 years from the 0.5-mill permanent- improvement levy passed specifically for such expenses. No general-fund money will be used, officials said.