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Straight A Funding Will Create Education Hub At Springfield's South High School

Springfield's former South High School, built in the early 1900s, is on its way to becoming an educational hub for students. Recently, a consortium of four local schools received an $11.3 million state Straight A grant for the renovation.

South High will now be called the Greater Springfield Career ConnectED Center, and it will house the  Global Impact Stem Academy,  Springfield City Schools, Clark-Shawnee Local and the Career Tech Center under the title of College and Career Readiness Hub. The plan is to offer education for in-demand careers and become a center of innovation. 

"This will be a win-win across the board for not only our school, and the students that we serve, but also I believe for the community in which that will impact as well," says Josh Jennings, director of the Global Impact Stem Academy. "It is the southern gateway into Springfield and a majestic facility to say the least, one with some historic significance."

The Stem Academy currently holds its classes at Clark State Community College but will move into South High School next fall.

The other partners haven't said when they'll move in.

Gov. John Kasich included $250 million in his two-year budget proposal last spring to fund the Straight A Grant program. The idea was to have local schools compete for additional state aid to fund programs aimed at boosting student learning and lowering costs.