WILKES-BARRE -- The Times Leader building on North Main Street has been a newsroom for many years. But that could change by as soon as next year if the Wilkes-Barre Area School District leases it and puts 11th and 12th grade students from Coughlin High School inside.
Right now, 11th and 12th grade teachers and students from Coughlin High School are being housed in the school's annex on North Washington Street in Wilkes-Barre. But by this time next year, those teachers and students could call the Times Leader building home.
"Realistically right now, our solicitor is involved with negotiations and looking into leasing, at this time, the Times Leader building," said Wilkes-Barre Area School District Superintendent Bernard Prevuznak.
The superintendent tells us the district would lease the building from Panzitta Enterprises. The developer, based in Wilkes-Barre, hopes to buy the building from the company that owns the Times Leader.
If everything goes as planned, the school district would renovate the Times Leader building, and then about 500 juniors and seniors from Coughlin would move in.
"I had toured the Times Leader building prior to this and it looks like there is going to be some adjustments made in regard to walls and renovations and so on, " Prevuznak explained.
Parents tell us there wasn't any good option when it came to where to put the students, but if possibly moving them into the Times Leader building would eliminate a split schedule, that's an option they can live with.
District officials tell us they plan to keep the students in the annex through the fall and there will be no split schedule.
Sydney Tuzinski has a daughter who is going to be a junior next year. she is on board with the potential plan.
"I like that a lot better than the split schedule. I think a lot of parents think that it's better than splitting up the kids, especially 9th and 10th coming home at 6 o'clock; that's a shame. No, I think it's going to be good."
There is no word on when the plan for the Wilkes-Barre Area School District to lease the Times Leader building could be finalized.
The district superintendent hopes juniors and seniors from Coughlin can move in by the start of next year.
Freshmen and sophomores will continue to attend classes at the Mackin School.
