News

Let’s go to the mall

Photo: Saga Communications


It’s not a deal on clothes, nor even those delicious pretzels, bringing District 186 to White Oaks Mall.

The Springfirld Public Schools board Monday voted unanimously on a seven-year lease for Springfield Learning Academy and Lawrence Education Center to occupy the former ITT space, effective this fall.

“All the whiteboards are up in rooms,” said superintendent Jennifer Gill. “It was operated as a school originally, so it has the look and feel and form and function of a school – with full classrooms.”

Springfield Education Association president Aaron Graves has reservations:

“The current school is located centrally,” at First and Laurel. “and accessible to all families, about 4-5 miles from each side of town. The mall is not.”

Graves is also wary of being indebted to a big corporation – in this case, Simon Property Group, whose Simon Youth Foundation has worked with the district for years.

The board unanimously approved a seven-year lease at $144,000 for the first year and a three percent increase each subsequent year.

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