TOLEDO, Ohio — Soon, more students will have the opportunity to enroll at the Toledo School for Arts.
That is, if the funds come through, said Director Doug Mead.
"We need to make sure that the entire vision of what we want to accomplish can be realized and we cannot realize it until we get these final dollars in to complete the necessary costs," he explained.
This is the final push for the public to bring in the remaining $2 million that's needed for an expansion to the current building.
"One of the first things that this project allowed us to do was create more space to bring in even more students," said Mead.
There are more than 200 students on the waitlist each year for the Toledo School for the Arts and this project will allow 140 more students to enroll.
"I'm a little jealous that I won't have it," said Elle Hurst, a TSA senior. "But I think that makes me even more proud that I get to come back as an alumna with a lot of pride for the school."
Hurst has been a TSA student since she was in 6th grade. She said the school combines academics with the arts, but it gives the students so much more than that.
"I like to say that leadership is my major at the school because, with all the leadership opportunities I've had, it's going to prepare me so much for the real world," explained Hurst.
Along with room for more students, this project will make necessary changes and improvements to the current building and create a community portal for all of Toledo to experience it. Something Mead said will be worth your dollars.
"We serve over 26 school districts," he said. "We have students from everywhere in northwest Ohio. So by serving the school, you are in fact serving the entire region."
Mead explained while they've almost reached their goal, the school is still in need of help from the public.
"The support has been monumental. This is by far the most aggressive campaign that this school has ever undertaken," he said. "Just the show of over 600 donors that have already given to this project is a testament to what the Toledo School for the Arts means to this area."
TSA staff hope to break ground on this new expansion in the spring of 2022.
If you'd like to donate, go to this link here.