Community members get 'first look' at Akiva expansion
Members of the community had a “first look” at the Altshuler Akiva Academy, Goldstone-Mirkin Family Middle School at the Suzi Solomon Campus in July.
“For those who joined us in March for the groundbreaking ceremony, you’ll notice just how much progress has been made since that day,” said Michael Barr, Youngstown Area Jewish
Federation president-elect.
Earlier this year, the Federation and Akiva Academy launched a $1.9 million dollar expansion campaign to build the new facility. The former Allen’s PharmaServ building, donated to the Federation by Alan Mirkin, is being transformed to house four classrooms for grades five through eight fifth. It will include a multipurpose room, a security office, a teacher resource room, administrative offices, and a conference room.
“Jewish education in our area is stronger than ever thanks to Akiva Academy,” Barr said. “As one of the most unique schools in our area, Akiva integrates secular and Jewish studies to support the cognitive, creative, social, and emotional growth of every student. Under the leadership of Principal Kathy Mioni, the school has earned a reputation for academic excellence. This has sparked significant interest from families, with enrollment filling up just weeks after opening.”
The expansion will allow the Jewish day school to double its enrollment in the next five years.
“Expanding Akiva Academy has long been a priority due to increasing enrollment demands,” said Nancy Burnett, Commission for Jewish Education president. “For years, the greatest challenge has been space. We had simply outgrown our existing campus across the street, with no room for further expansion.”