A building once slated for the wrecking ball is now full of preschoolers, administrators, and wrestlers in New Franklin. Manchester Local Schools has converted the former Nolley Elementary building at 6285 Renninger Road into a combined preschool and central administration facility, and the district says the new in-house program filled all 52 available seats across three classrooms for the 2026-27 school year.
The renovated building, once destined for full demolition, now houses district offices, 11 individual office spaces, a board meeting room, a community room, and space for professional development alongside the preschool classrooms, according to the Akron Beacon Journal. Superintendent Gary Hinton discussed the district's recent construction projects as part of the rollout, according to the same report. Bringing preschool back onto district property through a partnership with the Stark County Educational Service Center is expected to save Manchester Local Schools approximately $100,000 annually, as reported by Akron.com. The district had previously contracted with the Summit County Educational Service Center and sent preschool students outside the district to Coventry Schools.
A Reversal on Demolition Plans
The Nolley building's survival wasn't part of the original plan. Manchester Local Schools altered its master plan in early 2025, deciding to retain roughly 20,000 square feet of the old elementary building rather than tearing it down entirely, per Akron.com's earlier reporting. Demolition of the remaining unused structure was co-funded by the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission, the outlet noted.
That decision came alongside a broader campus consolidation. The district fully demolished the former Nimisila Intermediate School building and shifted storage operations into the saved portion of Nolley, the report states. Preschool classrooms were then outfitted inside the space that was saved from demolition.
Domino Effect From a New High School
The Nolley conversion traces back to a bigger construction chain that started with the district's new high school. Manchester Local Schools officially opened its newly constructed high school building in late August 2024, which freed up the former high school building to become a centralized elementary school, according to the outlet's coverage at the time. The new high school includes a 500-seat auditorium and a competition gym.
All of it was made possible by voters. In November 2019, residents of the Manchester Local School District approved a 36-year, 8.28-mill bond issue that generated $34 million for a new high school, building renovations, and updated athletic facilities, the district's construction history shows. Those bond proceeds funded projects across the district following delays tied to the pandemic.
Wrestling Club Rebuilds the Old Gym
Not every renovation at Nolley was handled by the district itself. The gymnasium inside the repurposed building was renovated directly by the Manchester Youth Wrestling Club, which converted the space into a dedicated practice facility, per the earlier account. Private donations helped fund wrestling equipment and the room's conversion, according to the same reporting.
Superintendent Gary Hinton took over the top job at Manchester Local Schools on August 1, 2024, after the board approved a three-year contract in May of that year. Hinton is a Manchester High alumnus who previously served as principal at East Canton High School. The district's central offices had previously been located in an aging building on Manchester Road before relocating to the renovated Nolley facility.
The district serves a relatively small student population, having recorded an enrollment of 1,214 students across its three operational schools during the 2023-24 academic year, according to Ballotpedia. That figure has trended lower than historical peaks from prior decades. Signage for the former Nolley Elementary building was still visible on July 28, 2026, even as the site's new purpose as a preschool and administrative hub was already taking shape.
