The first day of school is always a day of change and new beginnings. This rang especially true for many middle school students in the South-Western City School District as they began the 2022-23 school year at new or updated buildings.
The district updated or moved five middle schools, including three that primarily serve the Grove City area. Brookpark Middle School moved a couple miles southeast into the new Beulah Park Middle School, Pleasant View Middle School relocated a few miles northwest and Jackson Middle School saw a number of additions to its existing building.
“We’re really excited to be embarking on a year where we hope we can bring back some normalcy,” says Brett Harmon, principal at Pleasant View Middle School. “Most important is just to make sure that families and kids feel like we’re getting back to business.”
The new and expanded buildings offer state-of-the-art technology and allow for a more balanced distribution of students across the middle schools. Students at all three schools will study in updated science labs, work in multiuse flex spaces and enjoy improved physical education facilities.
Jackson Middle School saw the addition of five specific-use classrooms along with other flexible use spaces. The updates also include a new gym, leaving a second auxiliary gym space and an upgraded library media center.
“It’s just gorgeous when you walk through it,” says Principal Daniel Boland. “We’re very excited about growing into that space.”
A significant upgrade for Beulah Park and Pleasant View: air conditioning.
“Parents and kids alike are going to relish walking into those schools,” Harmon says.
Beulah Park will experience the biggest change as it moves its location and updates its branding. The middle school will pay tribute to the rapidly developing Beulah Park neighborhood it now calls home through its new mascot, the bronco.
“That was all set from community votes and involving staff in those decisions,” says Beulah
Park Principal Holly Henneman. “It’s also an homage to Beulah Park, the old racing track that used to be there.”
Reflecting the community involvement in the rebrand, the Beulah Park Broncos’ logo was designed by South-Western Career Academy interactive media design student Charlee Cahill, who graduated in spring 2022.
While community members voted in favor of a rebrand from Brookpark to Beulah Park, they favored keeping Pleasant View the same. Harmon says that reflects the long ties that many have to the schools.
During the final walk through of Pleasant View, Harmon says administrators saw a large turnout that included students in letterman sweaters from the ’60s. One former student worked with the district to dig up a time capsule buried at the school in 1987.
Pleasant View Time Capsule
To see what Pleasant View Middle School was like circa 1987, Principal Harmon and Evan Debo, executive director of communications for the district, followed a treasure map that had been hidden behind a tile mosaic of the school’s Panther mascot. Harmon and Debo dug up the capsule themselves.
The students who made the time capsule had all signed the box. Roots and dirt had largely corroded the contents, but a VHS tape and two cassette tapes were retrieved, though not in usable condition.
“I’d like to hear,” Harmon says. “I graduated from high school in ’86. I bet there was some good stuff on that ’87 cassette.”
“It’s amazing when you come here and you start to work in this community how deep the roots are,” Harmon says. “I have teachers and other secretarial staff who went to Pleasant View or whose kids went to Pleasant View. … There are lots of traditions and cool stories lingering, the ghosts of those folks in those hallways.”
While the buildings may be changing, Boland, Harmon and Henneman emphasize their commitment to supporting community and culture in their schools, especially coming out of two school years impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
But, they assure the community, there’s little to be concerned about for students. None of the schools will see notable changes in day-to-day education and routines.
Sweet Schooling
Principals have sweet teeth too! Here are their Halloween favorites.
Holly Henneman: If you do two Milk Duds to one almond, that is the snack of champions. If you really want to work for it, you put them in the freezer.
Brett Harmon: Reese’s. That’s a no brainer. Is there another favorite candy?
Daniel Boland: I’m a Kit Kat fan. I can eat those all day long.
“The instruction that happens in the classroom will still be the same,” Henneman says. “All of those things that set up that foundation, what happens in the rooms of the house is going to stay the same, the house is just a little different.”
The multiuse spaces have the added benefit of easily adapting to the needs and interests of students. Possible uses include everything from staff meetings to student art galleries. The
principals expect those uses to change over time.
“Those are exciting problems to have,” Harmon says. “That’ll just evolve over time as we find out what works best.”
For now, the principals are just happy to be getting settled in to their new buildings and see students making use of the space.
“If you can’t adapt to change in education,” Henneman says, “then you’re probably not in the right profession.”
Cameron Carr is an editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at ccarr@cityscenemediagroup.com.
