Kent Roosevelt High School pictured in a file photo. Roger Hoover/The Portager
Kent Board of Education and Davey Tree shake hands on land exchange
- Natalie Wolford ,
Kent City School District is exchanging an eight-acre property and the building that once housed Franklin School for a 1.75-acre lot adjacent to Stanton Middle School, currently owned by The Davey Tree Expert Company.
Davey Tree will supplement the exchange with $456,000 and extended parking at 12 evening events at Roosevelt Stadium.
Superintendent George Joseph says having the new property will allow the school to complete the safety plan for Kent schools’ secondary campus. The funds and the newly acquired land will go toward the completion of a new bus drop-off drive behind Stanton.
“This plan will ensure a safer drop off and pickup area for students,” Joseph said in a statement.
Davey Tree CEO Pat Covey said the exchange will likewise benefit the company.
“We’d like to extend our science and learning center by connecting our Davey East campus with the John Davey Arboretum,” Covey said.
The connection of the two properties, located on the east side of state Route 43, would allow for greater community access to the site. Any plans will be available in a few months “once the due diligence is finished,” Covey said.
Natalie Wolford
Natalie Wolford is managing editor at The Portager. A native of Randolph, she studied film in New York City and is producing a feature-length documentary about her aunt, a small-town journalist.