Diverse Perspectives On Elementary Schools Shared At March 3 School Board Meeting

Members of the community and members of the Preserve Lakewood Schools group shared many different perspectives on elementary school planning at Lakewood Board of Education’s March 3 meeting. 

School Board President Nora Katzinger began the public comment section of the meeting by recapping the process through which the school district is currently considering whether to change how it structures its elementary school buildings. 

School board member Betsy Shaughnessy then provided a summary of how the superintendent chose the members of the Elementary Planning Task Force.  She stated that the superintendent and other school officials invited many people to participate, and that the members of the task force are the people who accepted the invitation. 

Longtime former school board member Linda Beebe shared her pride in the school board’s commitment to protecting the safety and rights of all students, and commended them for looking into how elementary buildings are utilized.

Lakewood native Chelsea Datavio encouraged the school board to take into consideration that Lakewood’s current elementary students have already experienced a lot of disruption in their education due to Covid, and asked the school board to consider the needs of all students, especially learners with unique abilities.

Parent Corey Bruaw shared perspectives that community members have shared with Preserve Lakewood Schools:

“The thought of moving did cross my mind when I found out that they might close Grant, so I have no doubt that other people have the same thoughts.  We need to bring in more families.”

“I have a friend who has two kids at Grant right now.  They own a house here and they are looking to move out of Lakewood and one of the big reasons why is because Grant may close.”

“This is a time for creativity in public schools, from education to funding.  Don’t pull the rug out from one of the last walkable school districts around.  Healthy neighborhood schools make for healthy, thriving communities.”

“My fourth grader had to take kindergarten virtually due to Covid.  The growth and sense of community he experiences on a regular basis while walking to school has really helped him find himself and form deep and lasting friendships.”

“Walkability in the Lakewood school system are often-cited reasons why my clients want to move to Lakewood.  People move here to reduce their reliance on cars and want these schools to be close.  Removing the abundance of elementary schools, in my opinion, will discourage young families from choosing our community, and will start a trend that will be hard to reverse.  We are resourceful and creative, and I do hope that these traits can be used to come up with solutions that don’t involve closing schools and disrupting one of the most appealing aspects of moving to Lakewood.”

Mr. Bruaw encouraged the school board to consider these and many other perspectives.

Parent Marie Fechik-Kirk spoke about why many working parents choose Lakewood City Schools for elementary school, yet choose a private daycare for preschool and Pre-K.  She stated that many working families require care beyond 8:45am-3:05pm to allow for an 8-hour work day for both parents, and that they require full-day care during the summer, when full-day options for children 4 and under are limited. 

She stated that for families with more than one child under five, having one dropoff is a huge benefit, and that these families would be far less able to choose a centralized Pre-K program. 

Ms. Fechik-Kirk concluded by sharing that many families choose Lakewood over other neighboring suburbs for the community’s reputation – a caring, diverse, and tight-knit community.  And that they chose Lakewood City Schools for the teachers and the quality of education provided.  And a third key selling point of Lakewood is walkability – a unique feature that sets Lakewood apart. 

“No matter the season, when you attend a neighborhood school, there are more opportunities for connection, whether it’s a greeting or conversation, these positive interactions create positive association with school, and boost attendance and performance, and build our sense of community.”

Emerson parent Susan Hutner shared that, although Emerson is not being considered for repurposing, she believes that repurposing elementary schools “would complete change the nature” of Lakewood.

“Eliminating up to two of those schools means a complete change to the city.  Bussing isn’t feasible, so now there’s enormous car lines, winding through the neighborhoods. …Kids lose their schools, and trust in public schools and the people leading them continues to be eroded and lost.”

She stated that she hopes that the task force is seriously considering a scenario where all seven schools are retained, and concluded with the hope that the school board will be able to retain trust from the community.

“I’m urging you to continue to consider options that keep all the schools open, because I worry that voters may not support a levy when you close the schools for our youngest students.”

Preserve Lakewood Schools is a coalition of parents, residents, and business owners in Lakewood, Ohio, committed to preventing the closure/repurposing of neighborhood elementary schools by Lakewood City Schools. https://www.preservelakewoodschools.org

Jennifer Schlosser is a Lakewood resident, business owner, and parent of two.