NELSONVILLE, Ohio — Southeast Ohio Classical Academy, a charter school with a campus in Logan, is working to expand to include a building on the Nelsonville Public Square.
Formerly the Athens County Community Cares Resource Center, the building at 10 W. Washington would require a zoning variance to permit a school that would be part of SOCA.
SOCA opened in Logan in 2024 and currently provides free K–7 education, expanding next school year to include 8th grade students. It intends to serve grades K–12 by 2030.
SOCA’s mission is to establish “moral character and civic virtue” in its students, according to its website.
SOCA Principal Tim Allen said in an email to the Independent that 10 W. Washington St. will be used for “many of our upper school students. This will also free up much needed space here on our lower school campus.”
“I hope to see about 120 students attending classes at that location [by 2030],” he said.
He added that he foresees “many long-term opportunities at this additional location” in Nelsonville.
Earlier this month, Jonathan Cozad announced to city council plans for the charter school in downtown Nelsonville. At the Oct. 14 session, he asked council about a zoning variance to allow for a school in the city’s downtown commercial district.
Members of the public have weighed in on SOCA at two public meetings, Nelsonville’s Planning and Development Committee meeting held Oct. 20 and a regular city council meeting held Oct. 26.
Business owners, parents, and educators from both SOCA and Nelsonville’s school district, Nelsonville-York City Schools, attended the Oct. 26 meeting, where nine residents and four other individuals spoke on the issue.
Supporters of the new SOCA location said they are in favor of the school’s curriculum and noted that the expansion could increase downtown traffic and benefit local businesses.
Nelsonville-York City Schools employees expressed concerns that a new charter school location would divert additional funding away from the city schools.
Cozad said Oct. 14 he was seeking the council’s advice on how to navigate complexities associated with a zoning change, which would be necessary for the school to operate at that location.
As of publication, SOCA has yet to formally apply for a zoning variance through the city administration. Council member Gregg Clement said at the Oct. 26 meeting that that council would not respond to public comments at the meeting since SOCA had not yet submitted an application.
“We have nothing to look at yet,” Clement said.
The city’s Planning Commission and Board of Zoning Appeals manages zoning in Nelsonville. The Board of Zoning Appeals considers exceptions to existing regulations, including by issuing zoning variances.
Council member Nic Joseph-Saul noted at the Oct. 26 meeting that the existing Board of Zoning Appeals currently has several vacancies. If the Board of Zoning Appeals is not filled, the city council can act on its behalf as allowed by the Nelsonville City Charter.
For now, the city awaits SOCA’s zoning variance application and seeks five constituents to serve on the Board of Zoning Appeals. Special projects manager Erica Padgett said those interested should send her a letter of interest at epadgett@cityofnelsonville.com.
Allen said SOCA has considered other potential locations for its expansion if the variance for 10 W. Washington St. is not granted.
“We have toured many sites in the area, and have explored many pathways to create more room at our current location,” Allen said. “The question is not ‘if’ we will continue to expand and serve our students through graduation but rather, ‘how?’”
New property owner bought building to support charter school
Cozad placed an uncontested $776,000 bid for the building on the Nelsonville Public Square in late September, according to a public records request fulfilled by the Athens County Commissioners office.
In a phone call with the Independent Oct. 27, Cozad declined to be quoted directly, but shared that he is purchasing the building with intent to lease it to SOCA as a long-term tenant.
“Mr. Cozad was interested in supporting SOCA by purchasing this property,” SOCA Principal Tim Allen told the Independent. “He was well aware of our need for additional space for our growing student body, so he graciously stepped forward to support our mission.”
Cozad said at the Oct. 14 council meeting that he believes the school would bring increased traffic to downtown Nelsonville.
“I believe having SOCA in downtown Nelsonville will bless downtown business the same way it has blessed my retail business in Logan,” Cozad said Oct. 14.
SOCA offers alternate path for students and funding that follows
At the Oct. 14 council meeting, SOCA Principal Tim Allen spoke before the council about the school’s curriculum.
“Our education is really focused on two main outcomes — intellectual and virtue formation,” he said.
SOCA Founder and Treasurer Claire Green attended the Nelsonville Planning and Development meeting Oct. 20, and said a presence in Nelsonville would create more options for families.
SOCA purchased its current location, located along SR 595 in Logan, in 2023. As The Logan Daily News reported, the school had a more than $1.6 million deficit at the end of fiscal year 2025, but was boosted by increased enrollment for the 2025–’26 school year. It serves students from over a dozen state school districts.
In 2024, SOCA was established as part of a larger charter school network that receives training and parts of its curriculum from the Hillsdale College K-12 Education Office. Hillsdale College is a private Christian college with longstanding ties to libertarian and conservative politics.
Most of SOCA’s co-founders were connected to Brookfield Church on Court Street in Athens, a church with roots in a former network of churches that were established in college towns to proselytize.
The average number of students attending SOCA daily was about 216, according to state data generated Oct. 14, used to calculate monthly state payments to charter schools. Of those, about 36 were enrolled in kindergarten, 74 in grades 1–3, and 105 enrolled in grades 4–8.
The school annually nets over $2.2 million in state support, per the Oct. 14 data.
The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce did not fulfill a records request by press time on the numbers of students attending SOCA from each Ohio school district.
In Ohio, funding for charter schools is tied to the student, meaning that when a student chooses to attend a charter school over a public school district, the state funding that the school district would receive on that student’s behalf “follows” the student to the charter school.
Megan Riddle, a Nelsonville resident whose son attends SOCA, pointed out that students from Nelsonville are already among those attending SOCA in Logan.
“Keeping SOCA from coming here into this town is not going to stop these children from going to SOCA,” Riddle said. “Nelsonville already provides transportation for these students to go to SOCA as well as Athens and Logan and other surrounding schools.”
Residents respond to possible zoning change
Patrick Norway, a Nelsonville resident and owner of The Mine Tavern, raised concerns Oct. 20 about how a zoning change to 10 W. Washington St. could affect the city’s Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area, aka DORA.
DORAs are special areas designated by governmental bodies where open container laws are relaxed. The state approved Nelsonville’s DORA application earlier this month, after years of discussion.
Norway said his business falls within 500 feet of the proposed school site; if the charter school is approved, its proximity could affect nearby liquor licenses over time.
“If I go to sell my business, they will not issue a new liquor license within 500 feet of the school,” Norway said.
According to Ohio’s “nonconforming uses” statute, in the case of a zoning ordinance or amendment, property owners may continue to use a property for the purpose that it lawfully held at the time of the change.
Under this practice, existing liquor license holders are “grandfathered in,” while new businesses are required to comply with new zoning rules.
A school in downtown Nelsonville wouldn’t bar businesses from applying for and securing liquor licenses by default. However, under Ohio liquor law, institutions (schools, churches, libraries, parks) within 500 feet of an establishment that is seeking a liquor license have the opportunity to object during the application process.
Riddle, the parent of a SOCA student, said there are possible educational benefits of the location’s proximity to Stuart’s Opera House and the Nelsonville Public Library.
In a written statement read during business and organizational comments, Allen said, “[SOCA] will be an involved local partner, just as we have been at our lower school site.”
Riddle also asked Oct. 20 if the committee had considered an amendment to the current zoning.
“I believe the C-1 [Downtown Commercial District zone] allows for childcare facilities, which to me doesn’t seem that different,” Riddle said.
“Some of these questions definitely need input from an attorney,” council member Gregg Clement responded.
School funding impacts
English teacher Casey Cox voiced his reservations about the charter school at both the Oct. 20 and Oct. 26 meeting, one of several speakers to raise concerns about how a new charter school could affect the resources available to Nelsonville’s public schools. He cited Nelsonville-York staff and students’ contributions to the community, including students’ participation in the city’s annual Parade of the Hills.
“When enrollment and funds are continuously siphoned from our school district, this inherently limits the type of opportunities that we can provide for our students,” Cox said.
Other speakers asked the city to gather more information before deciding whether to grant a zoning variance. Nick Conroy, a Nelsonville-York High School science teacher, spoke on behalf of the Nelsonville-York Education Association.
“We would encourage council to seek a clear understanding of the proposed school’s enrollment, grade levels, facility requirements, operational plans, and how the new school will affect funding for our current school,” Conroy said. “If it’s found that a new school will negatively impact the funding of Nelsonville-York City Schools, the Nelsonville-York Education Association would stand opposed to that negative impact to our staff, [and] to our facilities.”
Nelsonville-York Superintendent Rick Edwards did not respond to a request for comment.
