Oakwood City Schools operates five school campuses (see Table 2). Four of these are located in Oakwood – Edwin D. Smith Elementary, Harman Elementary, Oakwood Junior High, and Oakwood Senior High. Julian & Marjorie Lange School is located in the City of Kettering.

All school buildings, except Lange, are currently in the process of renovation and expansion. Infrastructure is being upgraded; roofs are being repaired; and improvements are being under-taken on the school interiors. Renovations are addressing safety and many structural issues. New classrooms are also being added at Harman, Smith and Oakwood Junior/Senior High School.

The current renovation program is the result of a three-year study and numerous evaluations of asbestos, roofing, and ADA compliance. When the renovations are complete, Oakwood school buildings should be adequate for the next 20 to 30 years.

Existing schools are well located to serve the Oakwood community. An elementary school is located on both sides of Far Hills Avenue, and the Junior and Senior High Schools are near the geographic center of the community. All areas of the City are within walking distance of school facilities.

Enrollment at the end of the 2003-2004 school year was 2,039 students. Oakwood City Schools have experienced a growth of approximately 21% in the last five years. According to enrollment projections, steady growth is anticipated for the next 3 to 5 years, adding about 30 to 40 students per year in grades K through 12. The current renovation program should posi-tion Oakwood schools to absorb the anticipated growth in student enrollment.

However, even though renovations will upgrade Oakwood schools, there are still concerns about certain schools. All schools are located on relatively small sites. For example, Harman Elementary School is located on a 2-acre site and has very little land available for recreation. In fact, the addition of new classrooms at Harman will absorb much of the remaining recrea-tion space. Off-street parking space is also in short supply at all four schools in Oakwood.

The City should continue to support Oakwood City Schools and promote continued coopera-tion between the City and the schools to maintain a quality educational system, improve and enhance school facilities as required, and promote communication between the schools, the City, and local residents.

Wright Memorial Public Library

Oakwood has had library service since 1913, and the first library facility opened in a building on Park Avenue in 1923. The present facility, Wright Memorial Public Library, was con-structed in 1939, at Katherine Wright Park (see Table 3).

The Wright Memorial Library is a school district library, which means that the School Board appoints Library Board members and is the Library’s taxing body. The Library is funded pri-marily through the State of Ohio’s Library & Local Government Support Fund and a local property tax levy, although there are fines, and user fees.

The Library building was built in 1939. Additions were made in the early 1960’s, 1970’s and 1980’s. Currently, the building is approximately 23,500 square feet. While efforts have been made to keep the building in good condition, many elements of the building require frequent maintenance. Storage and office space are limited, and parking is difficult.

The Library provides reference service, programming for all ages, a Web page, and written and audiovisual materials. The Library collection is approximately 160,000 items. Because of limited space, the Library has to remove one item for each new item added. The space con-straints also make it difficult to provide books and other items for Oakwood residents.