East Toledo charter school trying to move forward after denial of permit to expand Pre-K building

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - Feeling down but certainly not out on Toledo’s east side. A charter school has lost its appeal to expand its pre-K program but officials with the school are undeterred.

They’re now even more motivated to help more kids.

Last year 13 Action News reported on L. Hollingworth School being denied a special use permit to expand. Their appeal of that denial was denied too. So ‘plan B’ is well underway.

“It’s really nice having a smaller school where everyone knows you too. Teachers I haven’t met know I’m my children’s mother,” said L. Hollingworth parent Brionna Begin.

Her son would have more pre-K classmates but the school can’t expand its footprint to expand the pre-K program. School officials own land at Nevada and Miami streets but have been denied a special use permit to expand by Toledo City Council.

“The mood is our building was not so good for a while. Only because they were very disappointed, very confused as to why anyone would want to prohibit a pre-K program,” said L. Hollingworth School Superintendent Terrence Franklin.

Franklin was disappointed when the common pleas court denied their appeal for the special use permit. So all that land they own cannot be expanded to pre-K space. The exact reason for the denial still isn’t clear.

“There were a few other neighbors that were laughing. They found it funny that we now own property that we’re not able to expand our property on. That was the big joke in the neighborhood,” said Franklin. “It’s a quality education that they can use moving forward in their K-8 and beyond years,” said pre-K director Aly Simon.

She has 16 kids now and that additional building space would have doubled the capacity. Currently, there is a waitlist for pre-K. Each day she sees the difference pre-K makes.

“They’re a lot more advanced and mature when they go to kindergarten and beyond. They’re not so new and afraid. They have that experience,” said Simon.

So what’s next? There are probably no more appeals or possibilities for this particular special-use permit application. Superintendent Franklin said they’ll work in their building to try and make some more space for more kids and then regroup with board members to see what’s next.

But Franklin said they said they do not wait to leave the eastside.

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