A public school focused on science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, will have a new school building in Kent under a new agreement with Kent State University.
The agreement, announced Dec. 15, will mean Bio-Med Science Academy will be able to combine its kindergarten-through-fourth-grade building in Shalersville and its fifth-through-sixth-grade building in Ravenna into one building. Bio-Med Science Academy, with its main campus in Rootstown, is one of seven tuition-free public STEM schools in Ohio.
Stephanie Lammlein, chief administrative officer of Bio-Med Science Academy, said the new school, which should be in operation by fall 2027, will expand a partnership that already exists between the two institutions.
"I'm excited for the opportunity to grow that partnership and really think of ways to collaborate on educational experiences for all students," she said.
This move will save the university money, about $800,000 per year in operating costs, by giving the Schwartz Center in Kent to Bio-Med Science Academy, Kent State University said in a news release.
The Schwartz Center originally opened in 1956 to house the Kent State University School, a laboratory school that served generations of student teachers through 1985, the release added.
“This is truly a win-win partnership that strengthens our relationship with the community while solving a critical facility challenge,” said Melody Tankersley, executive vice president and provost at Kent State, in the news release. “The Schwartz Center was facing significant infrastructure costs, and rather than shutter or demolish the building, we envisioned an opportunity to repurpose it in a way that benefits our community and supports an educational institution that aligns with our university’s values and mission.”
Lammlein said STEM schools are important for the future workforce of Ohio and the country. The schools still have to check all the boxes a standard public school must check in teaching reading, writing and math, but she said Bio-Med Science Academy also teaches students a problem-solving mindset through special STEM projects.
"We're focusing on (STEM) disciplines, trying to get kids ready for the workforce that we don't even know what it's going to look like with the evolution of technology and just some of the things that are coming down the pike," she said.
Admission to Bio-Med Science Academy is determined by a blind lottery, according to the release. More than 900 students from over 45 school districts attend across eight Ohio counties.
Administrative offices currently housed in the Schwartz Center will be located to other buildings, the university said.
