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Teen tries to save Western Reserve building
By JON MOFFETT
WARREN
Warren Harding High senior Marvin Logan is accustomed to jumping over hurdles in order to get what he wants.
But the Raider track standout hopes his latest obstacle isn’t too high to prevent perhaps his biggest victory.
Logan, 17, and other student activists hope to save the former Western Reserve High School building. The Loveless Avenue structure is set to be demolished this summer.
“It’s a big part of the Warren tradition,” Logan said.
Logan described himself as a “youth activist” and is a co-founder of Athletes and Youth for Change and Expression, a group that focuses on youth development. He said he is disappointed the former school, most recently a middle school, cannot be saved.
“At one point in time, it was being looked at as being made into a community center,” Logan said. “Unfortunately, some things happened with our city council, and the idea was thrown by the wayside, and the building is set to be [razed].”
School district officials said the building, which opened in 1967 and was made into the middle school building in l989, would be quite costly to repair. The district will use two new K-8 buildings, Jefferson and McGuffey, and the two-year-old high school building this fall.
Western Reserve and six other buildings will be razed.
Patty Limperos, school board president, had said there have been discussions in recent years with community groups and Warren City Council about trying to save Reserve, but nothing has come of it.
Limperos said the state deemed Reserve salvageable many years ago when discussions began with the Ohio School Facilities Commission for 81 percent state funding for five new schools to replace all of its buildings.
But in the years since, Limperos said, the state has re-evaluated Reserve and determined that it no longer meets the “two-thirds rule.” The rule says the state will not pay for renovations to any building if the cost is more than two-thirds of its replacement cost.
The demolition dates will be decided by outside companies.
But before the wrecking ball can knock away the concrete, Logan said he hopes he can inspire others to reinforce the school’s walls.
“We need every local activist, every youth and every kid,” he said. “Everybody has a voice. Everybody who is a parent, is a registered voter and pays taxes has a voice. And we need those voices right now.”
Logan and other supporters are expected to attend the Warren city school board meeting tonight. The public portion of the meeting will begin at 7 p.m. at the district’s new 105 High St. address.
Logan hopes this final kick can propel his plan just as it does in his races. “We need to give the youth of my city a chance,” he said.