Starting fresh with new facilities in our public school system offers our community the opportunity to envision something bigger than solely accommodating the needs of our school-age population. Let’s look at the campus as a way to serve all residents! How can we best utilize our structures for more hours of the day for things like music and drama, adult education and exercise, social support services, preschool care, computer literacy, library services, and city recreation programs? If we maximize the potential uses of our facilities, we can also share expenses, lessening the burden on school district taxpayers alone.

A comprehensive plan requires creative thinking, cooperation among many stakeholders, and clear and transparent communication throughout the process. I believe this community can rise to the challenges.

Let’s strive to make a new campus the bustling hub of our community! It should be a welcoming learning space for everyone. Rather than focus on the dwindling number of students, let’s start to ask how we can all benefit from modern learning environments. Such a positive attitude might just attract more young families to Oberlin.

Linda Slocum
Vice President,
Oberlin City Council