Canfield announces plans for land transfer, new school buildings

Nearly 20 years ago, the vision for about 300 acres of land at South Palmyra and Leffingwell Road in Canfield focused on new housing developments.
Now, after the city bought and later annexed the land - known now as the Red Gate Farm - that vision has changed.
"This development agreement provides the Canfield Local School District with 100 buildable acres in Red Gate," said superintendent Joe Knoll, referring to a real estate transfer and development agreement signed Wednesday.
The district plans to build a new elementary and middle school on those 100 acres.
Those plans also include renovations to the current high school before eventually building a new one.
"The schools are outdated," says mayor Don Dragish. "They've maintained them well and we've put money into them, but they want a new school system and a campus style facility all on one piece of property."
In exchange, the city will ultimately take over about nine acres that house the current middle school and transportation building.
But this vision becoming reality hinges on one thing.
"We're hopeful that the committee to support Canfield Schools will lead the passage of our (6.9 mill) bond levy in May," Knoll said Wednesday.
That has to happen by June of next year.
Residents will get a chance to sound off on that next Thursday at 5pm at the middle school gym.