ALLIANCE, OHIO – (Feb. 17, 2023) – The Alliance City Schools (ACS) administration and Board of Education is excited to announce changes that will take place for the 2023-24 school year.
Starting next year, ACS will provide alternative education services at each grade-level building rather than at Parkway Learning & Development Center (PLDC). This will allow students to receive services with their grade-level peers in a classroom environment that is dedicated to meeting their individual needs. Additionally, these students will have more opportunities to take part in specials/electives, have the same extracurricular and co-curricular activities as their peers, opportunities to form relationships with more ACS staff members and have access to the multitude of school-specific resources.
With this transition, ACS does not anticipate a reduction in staff. The district will continue to provide the same staffing support the students need and deserve.
“Much thought and discussion was put into this decision, and I have complete confidence that ACS is stronger when all our students have the resources and support they need to receive their education in their grade-level building, amongst their own friends and classmates,” said Rob Gress, superintendent of Alliance City Schools. “The PLDC staff does amazing work with our students. Next year, and into the future, we will lean heavily on Portia Johnson, the current principal of PLDC, and the rest of the staff to continue and expand on that positive momentum. ACS will continue to emphasize trauma-informed care, mental health support and targeted professional development to ensure our students have positive and successful school experiences.”
With this transition, the district will relocate its preschool program, currently housed at Alliance Early Learning School (AELS), to Parkway.
Over the past few years, enrollment at AELS, which houses all district preschool, kindergarten and first grade students, has continued to rise leaving little room in the building for activities and family-centered events. By relocating the preschool, it will allow for the program to grow to educate more students. In addition, the staff and students at AELS will have more room for activities and family engagement events.
For more information about the Alliance City School District, visit www.alliancecityschools.org.