New Renovations at Julie Billiart School Akron to Expand Life-Changing Education to Countless Families

Friday, April 08, 2022

[Akron, OH, April 7, 2022] Julie Billiart (JB) Schools’ Leadership Team and Board of Directors announced that a major renovation project has been approved for Julie Billiart School Akron. This project is designed to expand the current blueprint of the building and allow JB Akron to reach a capacity of 132 students beginning in December of 2022.

Julie Billiart School Akron will embark on a five-classroom expansion using its existing chapel space to add another floor and classrooms, as well as retain a dedicated chapel space for students. The project, generously funded by a number of Akron community members, foundations and national donors, will add 10,000 square feet of usable space for JB Akron students, faculty, and staff.

Currently, Julie Billiart School Akron, located at 380 Mineola Ave. in Akron, serves more than 100 families across Northeast Ohio. The school has reached its physical capacity at 117 students. Following the JB Model, this project will allow JB Akron to comfortably educate 15 additional students and provide larger, state-of-the-art spaces for learning and play. Julie Billiart Schools in Akron, Lyndhurst, and Westlake, educate and empower K-8 students with learning and social differences. Those with mild to moderate autism, ADD/ADHD, dyslexia, and other differences, come to JB for a whole-child approach to education, onsite therapies, and dedicated intervention.

Renovations will begin over the school’s spring break. The project is expected to conclude in December of 2022.

“At its core, this expansion and renovation project is about the functionality and dynamics of our classrooms”, said Jason Wojnicz, Principal of JB Akron. “We know that when our students and teachers can freely move throughout their spaces, their lessons and experiences become that much better. We’ve already seen that happen with the expansion of our Kindergarten room this year and we eagerly await the impact on the rest of our school building.”

The expansion and renovation comes with major reorganization and utilization of the existing layout. The current chapel will be divided into two floors with a connecting corridor to create classrooms, resource rooms, and a chapel. Music, Makerspace, and other services will have larger, dedicated spaces throughout the building.

“It is the mission of Julie Billiart Schools to educate and empower children with learning and social differences. We are called to thoughtfully grow and expand our reach to as many students as possible,” said Lannie Davis-Frecker, President and CEO of Julie Billiart Schools. “This expansion allows us to continue our mission and serve even more students at our Akron campus. It also allows us to provide even stronger services to our existing students, families, and educators and we are forever grateful to everyone who has made this possible!”

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Julie Billiart Schools, a community of schools with campuses in Lyndhurst, Akron, and Westlake, strive to build self-confidence, inspire Christian values, and empower K-8 students with skills, knowledge, and enthusiasm for life-long learning. Small class sizes, onsite specialized therapies, and highly experienced intervention specialists are just a few ways that Julie Billiart Schools take students with mild to moderate autism, ADD/ADHD, dyslexia, and other learning difficulties beyond education, and beyond expectations.