Dover residents tour suburban Akron school as they ponder the future of a new Dover High School

More than 80 Dover residents ventured north March 11 to tour the combined Springfield Junior/Senior High School in Lakemore, a suburb just east of Akron to learn more about the school that opened Jan. 4. The school serves students in grades 7-12 in the communities of Lakemore and Springfield Township. The tour, organized by Build DHS, a group of like-minded parents, grandparents, teachers, administrators and professionals who advocate the construction of a new high school, was an effort to allow Dover residents to see a modern educational facility in a similarly sized community. The tour was timely as Dover residents ponder the decision to build a new school to replace the aging Dover High School built in 1915 with additions added in 1940 and 1962 near downtown Dover. A bond issue will be on the May 6 ballot and Dover voters will be able to decide if now is the right time, the right price and the right location for a new high school.Springfield Local School District superintendent William Stauffer guided visitors through the expansive 175,000 square foot facility that includes a 650-seat auditorium with dressing rooms, a 400-seat cafeteria, a high school gymnasium that seats 1,000 and a middle school gymnasium with retractable bleachers. The school also featured separate high school and middle school instrumental classrooms, a vocal music classroom, separate high school and middle school art rooms, state of the art science labs, computer labs and a shared library complete with traditional media, electronic media and a café where students and staff can enjoy snacks and beverages. More than 150 security cameras, wall mounted flat screen televisions, wireless Internet and other technology and safety devices help create a secure environment for 21st century learning for the 1,200 students that attend the school.Springfield High School, originally built in 1931 and despite efforts to maintain the structure; the building was literally falling apart. The community saw the need and realized the affordability in 2010 after a levy campaign to pass a bond issue raising $33.7 million in local property taxes to draw a state match for the remainder of the $42 million project.Dover residents reacted similarly as they saw the potential a new building could bring to students and staff as well as the economic boost during and after construction. The Springfield school has seen an increase of 100 students in the 2013-2014 school year and locals believe it is attributed to the new facility.Samantha Hanenkrat, an art teacher at Dover High School, attended the tour with her two daughters, Sophie, a fifth grader and Rylie, a fourth grader. Both attend Dover East Elementary. “I like this building,” said Sophie Hanenkrat. “I like that there are no big cracks in the walls. I want a building like this when I go to high school.” As art teachers, Hanenkrat along with fellow art teacher Keri Stratton, who also teaches at Dover High School, appreciated the modern art rooms. “I like that the rooms have been well thought out,” said Hanenkrat. “The space is nice. There is storage room and two sinks. It is simple things like this that can allow us, as teachers to make better use of our time in the classroom with our students.”“Right now we are elbow to elbow,” said Stratton. “They have put some thought into these classrooms.”Residents can learn more about the Build DHS campaign by visiting www.builddhs.org/ or find them on Facebook.