Schools

If you don’t have a child in elementary school, you might be wondering about the purple and gold “Keep Our 7 Neighborhood Elementary Schools” yard signs. The Preserve Lakewood Schools yard signs are a sign of a thriving community where parents, graduates,and community members value the quality of their public elementary schools, and will go above and beyond to protect them. Preserve Lakewood Schools is a coalition of parents, residents, and leaders, committed to preventing the closure/repurposing of elementary schools by Lakewood City Schools, and supporting the long-term vitality of Lakewood's public schools. 

The School District is currently considering closing and repurposing one or even two of its seven neighborhood elementary schools including Grant, Lincoln or Roosevelt. Closing and repurposing a school will impact hundreds of families, change traffic patterns, and reduce walkability in our community. 

Walkability helps to enhance learning. Walking provides for light exercise before school, so students are better able to focus. It also makes transportation home from after-school activities easier. Lakewood students also take walking field trips. Just this year, our daughter’s class has walked to the Lakewood Public Library, the Lakewood Plant Company, and Kaufman Park. This helps acquaint students with their community, expands their learning, and is much cheaper than paying for a school bus and a driver.  

Lakewood City Schools proudly celebrated the achievements of its brightest students at the 42nd annual Celebration of Excellence ceremony on May 27 in the Civic Auditorium. Held to honor the academic dedication and success of its students, 407 medals of excellence were awarded to middle school and high school students who maintained a 4.0 GPA or higher through the first three quarters of the academic year and numerous senior scholarships were awarded.

The ceremony recognized not only these top academic performers but also celebrated the District's National Merit Finalist and six Commended Scholars, who have demonstrated outstanding academic prowess on a national level.

In addition to the medals of excellence, the ceremony included the awarding of a range of scholarships to deserving students. Recipients included those honored by the Lakewood Leadership Team, Lakewood Rangers Education Foundation, and winners of various Lakewood High scholarships.

Keynote speaker Patrick McLaughlin was the keynote speaker. A graduate of the Lakewood High School Class of 1964, McLaughlin rose to become a U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio after a decorated career in the U.S. Army, which he continued as a member of the Army Reserves after graduating law school. In his inspiring address, McLaughlin urged the students to seek excellence beyond the classroom as well. After recounting some of serious setbacks in his life, he also reminded students that when the inevitable life challenges knock them on the ground, it's important how you get back up and continue to strive for better.

The audience and students also enjoyed some beautiful music from the Lakewood High Chamber Choir. Such a wonderful evening to celebrate our student successes!

As the 2024-2025 school year winds down, Lakewood City Schools is preparing to say a heartfelt goodbye to a building that has stood for more than a century as a symbol of education, resilience, and community — Franklin School.

Built in 1907 as a four-room school, Franklin has seen Lakewood grow and evolve around it. It began as Franklin Elementary, serving grades K-6. Over the decades, the building was reimagined and repurposed, reflecting the District’s commitment to meeting changing needs. 

Franklin served as a K-6 elementary school from its opening in 1907 through the 1969-1970 school year. The following year, the District shifted the sixth grade to middle school. It would remain a K-5 school through the 2006-2007 school year. In February 2007, the Board of Education voted to close the building as a K-5 school as part of its 50-Year Master Facilities Plan that would eventually reduce the number of elementary buildings in the district from 10 to seven. 

Beginning in the 2007-2008 school year, the building served as the home to Lakewood City Academy, then a community school sponsored by the Lakewood City Schools that served students in grades 7-12 both online and in person. LCA remained at Franklin until the 2014-2015 school year when it moved to the former Taft Elementary School to make room for students displaced from Roosevelt Elementary while the new Roosevelt building was constructed. When the new Roosevelt opened in August 2016, LCA returned to Franklin. The building also served as the brief home of the Board of Education office when pigeons infested its building on Warren Road in 2013.

At the end of the 2019-2020 school year, LCA was dissolved and a new alternative education program, Franklin School of Opportunity, occupied the building beginning with the 2020-2021 school year until present day.

Horace Mann Elementary first-grade teachers Patti Cramer and Julie Harkness have been named the 2025 George P. Milbourn Team Teachers of the Year. The award is part of the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation’s Jennings Educator Awards Program that honors public school educators from across Ohio and includes a grant of $7,500 to fund a deep learning project for students.

According to the Jennings Foundation, The George B. Milbourn Team Teachers of the Year Award honors exceptional teams of educators whose innovative and coordinated efforts enrich the educational experience and foster success across your school community.

Cramer and Harkness, who have been teaching together for 13 years, certainly fit the description.

“Ms. Cramer and Mrs. Harkness demonstrate an unwavering commitment to student success through innovation, collaboration, and instructional excellence, making them exceptionally deserving of this distinguished recognition,” said Horace Mann Principal Sanya Henley. “They purposely and deliberately work together to ensure deep learning for students by planning, instructing, and coaching each other in ways that maximize student engagement and achievement.”

For their part, Cramer and Harkness find two is better than one. “I love having a teammate that brings a different skill set to the table! What I don’t think of- Patti does! The kids are the beneficiaries,” said Harkness.

A firm handshake, eye contact, a confident tone. While it’s impossible to reduce effective communication to a set of discreet variables, some of the underlying skills can be taught, practiced and mastered. In a world in which excessive screen time levies huge opportunity costs for the social development of students, this work is more vital than ever. We ignore the pernicious effects of the online world at our peril.

Enter Lakewood High School and our local community leaders. At LHS, per our Vision of a Lakewood graduate, communication skills and collaboration are cultivated across the curriculum. That said, one class in particular—Practical Communications, taught collaboratively by Mr. Gray Copper and Ms. Amie Guzowski--fulfills these aspects directly. The capstone experience, a networking/interviewing event with local professions, is fast becoming not just a yearly highlight, but an institutionalized cornerstone of the curriculum.

Mr. Cooper summed it up this way: “The lack of practice has led to an erosion of communication skills which, in turn, negatively impacts student self-esteem and confidence. Providing our students with a safe and supportive environment to grow their communication skills and confidence is something Aimee and I are deeply passionate about.”

“We have high expectations for our seniors, and they did an amazing job being brave and resilient throughout the entire course. As we work together throughout the semester, the class really starts to feel like a team or family. Aimee and I were inspired to see the students working through their discomfort and fear and with their support for one another.”

This year, the Clifton Club graciously hosted over 110 students and 100 plus professionals in two sessions lasting about 4 hours total. Students had multiple conversations, felt relaxed, felt anxious, fought through their nerves, and emerged with confidence to engage the wider world they will be entering. The professionals got to meet some fine students, and hone their own skills. Everyone wins.

And therein lies that magic that is Lakewood. We care about each other, and understand that our individual aspirations and success can only be fully realized within a vibrant, well-educated community. To those adults--teachers, administrators and business people--who rallied, again, to the cause--you are doing more for our students than you might recognize. Not only are you fostering effective communication, but more importantly, you are modelling citizenship in its highest forms--donating your time and talents to help the next generation coming along.

Drive though our town and you see century homes, tree lined streets and vibrant neighborhoods. These outward elements are special, but the magic starts with fine people that are in those homes. As Mr. Copper said, “The event is a powerful reflection of what makes Lakewood special: unwavering community support for our schools.” Long Live Lakewood.

Congratulations to our Barnstormers!! We are extremely proud of all your efforts and talent!

From Board President Nora Katzenberger:
Lakewood High School’s production of “Les Misérables” won Best Musical (Tier 1) at tonight’s Dazzle Awards at Playhouse Square! Charlie Scott/Javert accepted the award on behalf of his fellow Barnstormers, and gave a wonderful speech.
 
The cast’s performance of “One Day More” at the end of the first half of the show brought the house down!! Congratulations to everyone involved in this fabulous show!!

This past Thursday was the Senior Art Show. As happens every year at this show, guests were in awe of the work our students created. It's a testament to the legacy of excellence in our LHS Art Dept. and to the ingenuity and imagination of our student artists!

Lakewood parents and residents are voicing strong concerns about student safety due to the potential closure and repurposing of one or even two of our neighborhood elementary schools.

Closing and repurposing even just one elementary school would force Lakewood’s youngest children (ages 5 to 11 years old) to walk or bike longer distances to school, with many more students crossing busy streets and railroad tracks. 

Studies show the greater the distance a student has to travel to school, the more they are at risk for absenteeism, with a sharp decrease in attendance after 6 tenths of a mile. Right now the walk length for many elementary students is less than that; if schools were closed, that distance would dramatically increase— putting many more students at risk of absenteeism and other negative impacts. The first goal of the District should be that the students actually reach the school buildings.

Since the district does not offer bussing for general education students (and saves an estimated up to $2 million annually by not doing so), district leadership has a responsibility to ensure that Lakewood students have safe, reasonable walking routes to school.  

 No Plans to Complete a Traffic or Safety Study Despite Community Concerns 

 District  leadership has said that they don’t plan to study how closing schools would impact traffic and safety in Lakewood, because they partnered on creating Lakewood’s Active Transportation Plan (https://www.lakewoodoh.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/041524-Lakewood-ATP-Adopted-reduced-size.pdf), which was finalized in April 2024. 

The problem with this is that it was developed BASED ON HAVING SEVEN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. The plan also does not account for the incoming hundreds of multifamily housing units under construction at Brockley and Detroit, which will increase traffic stress levels, nor has it looked at the traffic or safety impact of the District's idea to create a centralized pre-k. 

The district was offered funding for a more in-depth traffic and safety study to address the loss of up to two schools and declined - Why? 

Our best estimate? An in-depth study would show that closing an elementary school is unsafe for kids’ commutes to school and is a bad idea. It will also cause longer car lines and additional safety issues for students commuting to the remaining schools. 

Could the funds spent on TWO consulting firms— one to assemble the data and another to manage the Task Force-- have been better spent on gathering data to ensure the safety of our children? 

My name is Monica Bruaw, and I’m proud to announce my candidacy for the Lakewood Board of Education. I’m stepping into this race with a deep commitment to our schools, our families, and most importantly, our students. It’s time to “Move Forward with Monica.”

As a life-long Lakewood resident, LHS graduate, mother of three elementary-aged Lakewood students, with a professional background in education planning, I bring a boots-on-the-ground perspective of what Lakewood stands for and the professional experience to know how to navigate the changing landscape of education. I’m not running to build a political resume to seek a higher role, I’m running because I genuinely care about the future of our public schools and the well-being of every student who walks through the doors (which includes my own children who will be lifelong Rangers). The importance of local leadership has become increasingly apparent to me through my efforts as a founding member of Preserve Lakewood Schools and I am committed to protecting and leveraging our walkable, neighborhood-based model of education.

I’ve spent 25 years in the construction industry with 20 years as an education planner, working directly with school districts across Ohio to develop master plans, facilitate task forces and lead community engagement sessions. I have experience in navigating state requirements around building capacity regulations and relationships with school administration around the state, which gives me insight into the budgetary challenges we face. My relevant professional background has taught me how to navigate complex challenges, balance budgets with real needs, and always keep the focus where it belongs: on relevant data and on students.

Lakewood High School social studies teacher Alex Cammock is a true embodiment of the Lakewood City Schools' vision of lifelong learning, perseverance, and continuous growth—for both himself and his students. Whether in the classroom or on the sidelines as head coach for our Ranger varsity basketball team, Alex daily displays our Vision of a Lakewood Educator competencies.

Says Alex’s nominator, fellow social studies teacher Ron Lewis: “What sets Alex apart is the example he sets every day. He models goal-setting, reflection, and hard work—not just on the court, but in the classroom and throughout the school community. He holds himself and his students to high expectations, always pushing for excellence while maintaining a deep sense of empathy and understanding.”

Alex leans on his empathetic nature and collaboration skills to build relationships with his students and players. “Collaboration goes a long way to building rapport - which to me is #1 with my students,” says Alex.

Alex’s growth mindset is a natural outgrowth of his personal mantra of trying to “win” the day by just being a little better each day. He imparts that same philosophy to his students. About Alex’s growth mindset, Ron says: “Whether he is adjusting a lesson to better meet student needs or recalibrating game plans mid-season, he is constantly reflecting and evolving.”

Congratulations to our three West Shore Career-Tech Culinary Arts students who earned spots in the top 10 of the statewide Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) competition! Way to go, Htoo Lweh Wah (6th), Finn Getts (7th), and Liz Carroll (8th)! Finn and Liz competed in the Baking & Pastry category and Htoo in the Culinary Arts category. 🎂 These students practice for numerous hours after school throughout the school year perfecting their recipes and skills to prepare for the competition. Well done to all!

Many community members have been curious about the Elementary Facilities Task Force’s work, and while there are many ways to learn about the specific content, I wanted to share what it’s felt like to me to be a Task Force member. I’m a parent of two little kids (4 and 1.5 years old), a person who found her forever home and community in Lakewood, and a K-12 education professional with 15 years of experience in a wide variety of settings. After more than eight months on this Task Force, I walked home from our last meeting with a mix of emotions: gratitude, relief, and pride. 

Gratitude. I cannot be more grateful for the opportunity to serve my community in this capacity and to my incredible fellow Task Force members. I’m also deeply grateful to the Board of Education and our district leadership for inviting community perspective into this process in multiple ways (community meetings, surveys, the task force, individual meetings with community members) - most districts don’t have such an extended, open process. Within the scope of this decision and some constraints (such as maintaining the special education classrooms at Emerson and Horace Mann), I found district leadership to be open to hearing alternative proposals, providing additional data and information, meeting 1:1 with us, and updating analyses. 

Relief. This process has been long - we began meeting in August 2024 - and about a topic with no easy answers. In my 15 years in education, I have never seen a school redesign, repurposing, or closure that has been easy, nor have I ever met any educator who views one of these options as anything but a tool of last resort. Emotions run high. The amount of information that goes into a decision like this - educational, operational, financial, community perspectives - is enormous and complex. This is just one decision in a broad ecosystem, and priorities conflict. While I’ve enjoyed this experience immensely, I also know that it’s one that won’t be tied up neatly in a bow.

We're thrilled to announce that Lakewood City Schools has been named a 2025 Best Community for Music Education by the NAMM Foundation for the ninth straight year! This prestigious recognition celebrates our commitment to providing exceptional music education to all students. 

The Best Communities Music Education designation is awarded to districts that demonstrate outstanding achievement in efforts to provide music access and education to all students. To qualify for the Best Communities designation, the District answered detailed questions about funding, graduation requirements, music class participation, instruction time, facilities, support for the music program, and community music-making programs.

The Lakewood City Schools offer music education from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. Instrumental instruction begins in 5th grade. Elementary choirs begin in third grade. Middle school offerings include classroom band, orchestra, and choir. Lakewood High offers multiple level of ensembles and extracurriculars in band, orchestra, and choir.

A huge thank you to our talented music teachers, supportive families, Lakewood Music Boosters, and our entire community for creating an environment where students can discover and develop their musical talents!

Kids and families, join us for a fun Family Bike Rally and playdate at Madison Park on Saturday, May 10, 12:30-2:30pm, to show our support for keeping Lakewood’s seven neighborhood elementary schools. 

This event is hosted by Preserve Lakewood Schools, and all are welcome, whether you bring a bike or not. Meet us at the pavilion near the playground, and: 

• Decorate bikes, scooters, strollers, wagons, and anything else that moves in Purple and Gold!

• Join the bike ride at 1:30pm! Ride, scoot, and move any way you like on the path around the park, to show our support for our schools!

• Create homemade signs, decorations, create drawings, and write messages in support of our schools, to be shared with our school board!

Kids (and adults) who participate in the bike ride around the park will receive a fun prize! Popsicles and snacks to be provided. 

Kick off Hike & Bike to School Week (May 12-16) with purple and gold decorated bikes to show your school spirit!

Preserve Lakewood Schools is a coalition of parents, residents, and leaders in Lakewood, committed to preventing the closure and repurposing of elementary schools by Lakewood City Schools, and supporting the long-term vitality of Lakewood’s public schools. 

Historically, Lakewood City Schools has prioritized students, teachers, and families. In fact, the district spent $100 million dollars to rebuild three elementary schools just 12 years ago. As is true for many Lakewood families, the primary deciding factor for us when we decided to purchase a home in Lakewood was the walkable, new elementary schools. We live within walking distance to Lincoln Elementary School, which opened only 9 years ago in 2016. Now, only a few years after purchasing our home, we are being told that this brand new beautiful school building which is supposed to last another 40 years may be closed or repurposed next year. My family has been to the meetings, watched the presentations, and we are still left with a lack of understanding as to what the true direction of the Lakewood Public School System is.

We’ve read the most recent strategic plan as of 2022, and closing and repurposing school buildings is not mentioned anywhere. In fact, closing or repurposing schools seems to be entirely counter to many of the objectives stated in the strategic plan. So I ask you, Lakewood City School District and community members, are we truly striving to be a great school district? Do we want the very best educational outcomes for our students above all else? Do we want to improve teacher morale in order to retain the most highly qualified and effective teachers? Do we want to continue growing our student population and attracting families to join our school district to increase enrollment? Because the short-sighted actions being proposed by the district administration will have direct and serious consequences on those goals and will do irreparable harm to our school district.

Closing or repurposing school buildings is a short term solution that doesn’t come close to covering the financial deficit we find ourselves in. The projected savings stated by the Superintendent and Treasurer is approximately $500,000 per year. However, the Treasurer’s own presentation indicates a projected net loss of $6 million for 2026 and $13 million for 2028. Per the treasurer, even if we close or repurpose one or two schools, we will absolutely still require a substantial levy in 2026 to balance the budget. And closing or repurposing schools will have additional serious consequences including...

• An anihilation of trust between community members and the district, which sought voter support for a $50 million bond just 12 years ago to rebuild the very elementary buildings now being considered for closure.
• The complete destruction of our school district’s walkability, a trait that is one of our greatest strengths and one that attracts new families and boosts enrollment.
• The loss of additional students who will choose to take vouchers and enroll in private schools.
• Increased absenteeism among our most at-risk students, who lack access to a family-owned vehicle or other transportation.
• Negative financial impact on community members as property values decline with the loss of walkable school buildings.
• And perhaps, most importantly, the social-emotional harm that will be inflicted on hundreds of children who will lose their elementary schools and the connections they have established with their school, teachers, and peers.

At the Lakewood City Schools, our strong sense of community has always been our foundation. We've overcome challenges and celebrated countless milestones. We are once again coming together to shape the future of our schools.

Since 2015, our district has seen a decline of over 1,000 students. While our values of close-knit neighborhoods and walkable schools remain strong, this shift has created challenges for our elementary facilities. Some schools are underutilized, with capacity as low as 62%, while others exceed 80%.

To address these challenges, we formed the Elementary Planning Task Force in August 2024. This dedicated group of educators, parents, and community members has reviewed enrollment trends, analyzed space utilization, and explored scenarios to optimize our schools. Along the way, we’ve sought input through community conversations at each elementary school and a community-wide survey.

The Task Force identified key priorities that reflect our community’s values. These include minimizing walking times, creating equitable class sizes, avoiding students crossing major thoroughfares, and expanding preschool opportunities.

The Community Recreation and Education Department has employment opportunities for the Adult Softball-Field Supervisor position. The Adult Softball-Field Supervisor is the direct representative of the Lakewood Board of Education and the Lakewood City Schools Community Recreation & Education Department during Adult Softball Games.

The primary duties and responsibilities include, but not limited to, the monitoring and managing of adult softball games at multiple fields in the the City of Lakewood, ensuring the safety and well-being of all participants.

The ideal candidate for the position of Adult Softball-Field Supervisor will have a basic knowledge of softball and of City of Lakewood fields and facilities. They will have the ability to establish priorities and work independently, without direct supervision. This position is part time, approximately 15-20 hours a week, nights and weekends are required.

Interested candidates should submit an Employment Application, which is available at www.recreation.lakewoodcityschools.org under Find It Fast-Part Time Jobs, to: The Lakewood City Schools Community Recreation and Education Department, c/o Mitchell Robida, 14100 Franklin Blvd., Lakewood, OH 44107.

Mitchell Robida is the Athletic Coordinator for the Lakewood City Schools Community Recreation & Education Department.

The Board of Education and the district are entrusted to manage the school system. With good management, there can be seven elementary schools—preserving our neighborhood schools and safeguarding them for our future. With enrollment stabilizing, classroom sizes projected to equalize starting with the 26-27 school year, little financial benefit, and an overarching lack of transparency, our question remains: Why are we still discussing closing an elementary school?

In fact, why did we even start the discussion in the first place? We have been told by the superintendent that “nothing is on fire”, “there is no emergency”, “this process isn’t taking place because of school finances” and “the passing of a new levy will need to happen regardless”. Convening a task force and asking them to review possibilities of expanding Pre-K by closing an elementary school wastes task force members’ time and brain power because it’s unclear what the impetus was in the first place. The Lakewoodites on the task force who I have spoken to are talented, intelligent, hard-working individuals. We could be using their commitment to provide support, guidance and perspective on a specific issue or problem and to figure out a better solution. Yet, with enrollment stabilizing, nothing on fire, and a wide group of supporters from new immigrants to Lakewood graduates extolling the virtues of preserving seven neighborhood schools at board meetings, it’s hard to understand why the task force has been asked to evaluate six predetermined options for closing and repurposing a school or schools. 

Speaking of the recommendation process… how does it work? This is a question that Preserve Lakewood Schools has posed to the school board and superintendent, and spent a good deal of time trying to understand. In short… there doesn’t seem to be an established process. For example, it would seem as if the three scenarios for closing multiple schools have been taken off of the table, but the task force didn’t explicitly vote on that elimination. Who interpreted the work of the task force by removing those scenarios? The consultant? Superintendent? Board of Education? Is this the process they will follow for the final recommendation? It lacks clarity and transparency. The members of the task force and community deserve a better explanation! 

Over the last 8 months, Lakewood’s school board has been considering whether or not to close one or even two of our neighborhood elementary schools - some of our community’s most precious assets. We at Preserve Lakewood Schools remain very concerned about the lack of consideration for Lakewood’s broader community’s input in this conversation.

In November '13, an overwhelming majority of Lakewood voters approved a bond issue to fund the rebuilding of the same 3 schools that the board may now vote to close. It will take Lakewood taxpayers until 2043 to repay the nearly $43 million left on that bond.  

Yet, the district has presented the community, in the form of the invitation-only Task Force which meets behind closed doors, with information that a drastic change has to be made - closing one or even two of our neighborhood elementary schools. They have provided little data or reasoning to justify making this drastic change.

Unfortunately, the district began this process using and sharing outdated enrollment projections that were from '22, and shared that outdated information with the task force at its early meetings, as well as with the public at the community meetings held in Fall '24.  

Since then, the district completed an updated enrollment study, which was released in February '25.

The district now projects that Lakewood will only lose 66 K-5 students over the next 10 years - that’s only 9 fewer students per elementary school. The district’s own projections show a steady elementary population moving forward over the next 10 years. This could easily be recouped with renewed marketing efforts.

In a March 11, 2025 letter to the House Finance Committee regarding House Bill 96, Lakewood Schools CFO Kent Zeman wrote, “Lakewood CSD is a guarantee district with stable enrollment. Our enrollment over the last four years has remained constant at 4,200 students.”

I have written two prior Observer articles covering the many issues that call the process surrounding, and the data provided to the Elementary Planning Task Force into question. The one issue that has been in the news lately is capacity. The administration claims schools are being under-utilized and has presented capacity numbers to back up that claim. But what do those numbers mean, exactly?

The capacity percentages initially shared by the district are a function of state defined maximum student capacity per square foot. They are NOT a reflection of how the schools are being functionally used. The takeaway: Lakewood Schools have class sizes well below the State Maximum. For example, my daughter’s first grade classroom at Lincoln with 18 students, is – according to the state of Ohio – at 72% capacity. The current overall capacity for Lincoln is listed at 71%. Rather than a problem, this seems to be a really great selling point to prospective parents.

The original capacity numbers that were presented to the task force were artificially deflated – they included the square footage of rooms like STEM and Music that do not have permanent classes attributed to them. They also based the CHAMPS and Rise & Stars classrooms on the state max capacity, rather than the actual capacity of those modified special needs rooms which are actually 8 and 10, respectively. Updated capacity numbers were shared with the task force on February 19 that counted actual classrooms, excluded STEM, Art, Library, Gym and Music rooms as well as administrative space, and assumed a max class size of 22 students per classroom.

The updated capacity numbers paint a much brighter picture – the elementary schools are at an overall capacity of 68%, and none of the schools fall below 60% capacity. The updated enrollment projections are also much more promising, showing an expected decline to only 66% overall capacity in the next 10 years. That’s only one less student per classroom, on average. The fact that enrollment is leveling off, and projections continue to improve makes a strong case for maintaining all seven elementary schools at this time. There is nothing lost by waiting, and if projections are rerun in 3-5 years they may improve further.

In Lakewood, our schools have always been the heart of our community. We pride ourselves on the fact that, on any given school day, our sidewalks are occupied by parents walking their children to their neighborhood schools.

As members of the Board of Education, working with Superintendent Niedzwiecki, Treasurer Zeman, and other District leaders, our job is to preserve what is best about our schools and pursue excellence in the education of our students. At the same time, we need to be aware of potential challenges to the things we hold dear.

There has been much back-and-forth discourse on the topic of potentially repurposing (closing) 1 or 2 of Lakewood’s elementary schools. In the messaging of the Lakewood City School District (LCSD), the term “fiscal responsibility” has been repeatedly used in their reasoning for considering closures. This is presumably to try to best position themselves for upcoming levy support and show the community that they are being good stewards of their funds. I believe it to be well-intentioned, but omits too many community-held values.

In Community Conversations in fall 2024, the district presentations included crystal clear statements that this exercise to potentially repurpose (close) schools is not financially driven. Presentation slides showed that closing one elementary school would save $500,000 which is roughly 0.6% of the annual operating budget. That’s right, we are considering uprooting some of our youngest students and eroding the walkability of Lakewood over fractional savings. This, to me, is not demonstrating fiscal responsibility, but rather the exact opposite - not recognizing what is valued. It is alarming that in recent closed Task Force meetings, Treasurer Zeman has reportedly increased the estimated savings to $1 million for closing a school. Are we spitting off figures in the dark? How were these figures not carefully calculated BEFORE we started considering closing schools and surveying the community about it? Fiscal responsibility means accurate numbers and an awareness of how these figures transfer to community impact.

Friday, April 11th will mark the 45th running of the Lakewood High School Track & Field RANGER RELAYS!

This proves to be a very speical event with the addition of LHS Hall of Fame Alumni Captains Dave Mills & Michelle Sikes.

Dave Mills (LHS '58), "...winning the OHSSA state title in the 440-yd. dash as a sophomore in 1956 and defending his title as a junior, also finishing second in the 100 and 220-yd dash that year. Then, as a senior in 1958, he turned in one of the most memorable performances in Ohio state meet annuals, winding up an undefeated scholastic career in the 440 by running the fastest schoolboy time (46.5 sec.) ever recorded in he U.S. and capturing the 100 and 220 titles to pace Lakewood to the state crown."
(Source, Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame)

Michelle Sikes (LHS '03), "...qualified for the State Cross Country meet four years in a row. During those four years, her star continued to rise as just a few of her stats indicate. She was OHSAA 3200 meter State Champion in 2000, OHSAA Div. 1 Cross Country Champion (17:48) in 2001 and OHSAA Div. 1 3200 meter State Champion (10:49) in 2002. As a Ranger, Michelle earned All-American honors in outdoor and indoor track and cross country, as well as eight varsity letters between cross country and track."
(Source, Lakewood City Schools)

Dave & Michelle will be recognized at Lakewood High School Stadium at 5:15pm on Friday, April 11th!

All Lakewoodites are encoraged to attend!

Congratulations to Harding sixth-grader Adeline Chalker on being selected as a middle school finalist for the annual Maltz Museum of Jewish History's Stop the Hate Youth Speak Out essay contest. Essay winners will be announced April 3. Stop the Hate also includes a Youth Sing Out songwriting contest, and Harding's sixth-grade morning class choir earned runner-up with their song "Listen to Our Words." This year, 4,419 students from more than 160 Northeast Ohio schools participated in the Stop the Hate contest and workshops. 

Congratulations to our varsity winter sports Rangers who were named to their respective sport’s Cleveland West All-Conference teams! The Rangers were led by five 1st Team honorees, including three Player of the Year and one Coach of the Year awards!

All-Conference Selections:

Basketball: First Team - Ariana Hueter, Lucas Seguine, Luke Vannucci;
Second Team - Elizabeth Doup, Charleigh Doxley, Riley Verderber;
Honorable Mention - Luke Bonvissuto, Ava Cuffari, Addison Garrett, Brady Long 

Bowling: Honorable Mention - Anajd Dajlanaj, Hailey Ellis

Diving: Second Team - Rian Fetting;
Honorable Mention – JP McManamon, Riley Stallbaum, Drew Wallen 

Hockey: First Team - Ronan Johnson, Tyler Volcansek;
Second Team - Gavin Beisel, Ryan Sterling;
Honorable Mention - Camden Fegely

Swimming: Second Team - Henna Memaj, Piper McElfresh, Ava Watts (400 free relay), Riley Swift (400 free relay, 500 free);
Honorable Mention - Shane Lindsay (200 free relay), Grace Lowmiller (100 backstroke), Henna Memaj (50 free, 100 butterfly, 200 free relay), Graham McAlvey (400 free relay, 100 butterfly, 100 backstroke), Piper McElfresh (200 free relay), Mia Resto (100 breaststroke), Caden Sandoval (200 & 400 free relay, 50 & 100 free), Gavin Stimac (200 & 400 free relay, 50 free), Riley Swift (50 free, 100 butterfly, 200 free relay), Ava Watts (200 free relay, 100 & 200 free), Daniel Azgrebin (200 & 400 free relay), 

Join us on Thursday, April 3, at 6:30-7:30 p.m. to learn more information about the potential repurposing (closing) of one or even two of Lakewood’s neighborhood elementary schools.

RSVP Here:  https://forms.gle/VEGzTmFMg7m8uTt38 to receive the Zoom link emailed to you the day before the event.

Hosted by Preserve Lakewood Schools, a community coalition dedicated to preventing the repurposing (closure) of elementary schools by Lakewood City Schools. The school board is currently considering whether or not to repurpose (close) up to two elementary schools (Grant, Lincoln, Roosevelt), and will vote as soon as late May 2025.

This zoom meeting is open to all: parents from all schools, residents, business owners, etc.
- Learn the basics of the issue
- Learn how this issue impacts all of Lakewood, not just the three schools being considered for closure (Grant, Lincoln, and Roosevelt)
- Ask questions
- Learn how you can get involved

All are welcome

Find more information at: https://www.preservelakewoodschools.org

Monica Bruaw is a mother of three and a lifetime Ranger.

Six concerned residents from Preserve Lakewood Schools met with school district officials on March 11, to share their recommendations for how the school district should move forward with its elementary school plan to provide long-term excellence and stability for Lakewood’s schools.

Over the last three months, Preserve Lakewood Schools has engaged with thousands of Lakewood families, residents and business owners, gathering feedback about how residents feel the school district should move forward with providing elementary school services.

Lakewood’s school board is currently considering whether or not to repurpose one or even two of Lakewood’s neighborhood elementary schools (Grant, Lincoln, and Roosevelt are being considered), and may vote on the issue as soon as late May 2025.

In the meeting, Preserve Lakewood Schools met with School Board President Nora Katzenberger and School Board Member Lisa Dopman, as well as school superintendent Maggie Niedzwiecki and treasurer Kent Zeman.  

Preserve Lakewood Schools’ Recommendations to the School Board: 

1. Prioritize safety and walkability.

2. Conduct a traffic and safety study.

3. Provide a safety analysis to accompany each of the seven scenarios under consideration.

4. Make Elementary Planning Task Force meetings open to the public.

5. Make a resolution that provides clear parameters on considering closures only under dire circumstances, with benchmarks outlined.

6. Vote for a scenario that:

1. Keeps all seven of Lakewood’s current elementary schools

2. Redraws the boundary lines for elementary schools to keep all schools at 60% enrollment or higher

3. Limits the number of crossings of main roads and railroad tracks

4. Keeps as many students as possible within one mile of walking distance of their home school, and when a student is further than one mile, the family should have the option to choose a closer school, or one with a safer commute.

5.  

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.”

Preserve Lakewood Schools is hosting a community information meeting on Sunday, March 16, from 5 -6 pm at Lakewood Public Library in the multi-purpose room. This meeting is open to all: parents from all schools, residents, business owners, etc. Learn the basics about the school district’s Elementary School Task Force planning process, ask questions, and learn how you can get involved. Come join us!

Preserve Lakewood. Save our Neighborhood Schools is a dedicated community project in Lakewood, Ohio, committed to preventing the closure/repurposing of elementary schools by the Lakewood City School District. Find more information at: https://www.preservelakewoodschools.org

More than 70 Lakewood residents recently had the opportunity to learn more about Lakewood City School District’s consideration of whether to make changes to how it delivers elementary education in Lakewood, which may result in the repurposing or closure of one or even two of Lakewood’s neighborhood elementary schools.

Preserve Lakewood Schools held a community information meeting on February 11, at Grant Elementary School, hosted by Grant Elementary PTA. Residents were able to learn more about the planning efforts being undertaken this school year by the Lakewood superintendent’s Elementary Planning Task Force, and understand how the repurposing or closure of any elementary school could affect not only families with young children, but also the entire Lakewood community.

“We are here because we love Lakewood’s schools, because we value our neighborhood schools, and because we want all of Lakewood’s residents to know that the school district may make major changes to how it delivers elementary school education, including closing one or even two of our neighborhood elementary schools,” said Preserve Lakewood Schools member and parent Jennifer Schlosser.  

“We want to share information about this process, and encourage all Lakewood residents to get involved in the process, whether that’s sharing their perspective at a school board meeting, talking to their friends and neighbors about it, or contacting their school board members and superintendent with how these changes would impact their family,” Schlosser added.

Haynes Nursery School is excited to announce its rebrand to Haynes Preschool, marking an important evolution in its mission to provide a nurturing, child-centered early education experience. This transformation underscores the school’s commitment to continuing its role as a vital partner in the educational journey of young learners while embracing new opportunities for growth and development.

Haynes Nursery School, located in Lakewood Congregational Church at 1375 West Clifton Lakewood, OH 44107, was established in 1966 by Marjorie Haynes, LCC’s Sunday School Superintendent. It has long been a trusted institution in the community, offering a secular, play-based preschool program that emphasizes the physical, social, intellectual, and emotional growth of each child. With a refreshed name and an exciting new focus, the school remains dedicated to providing a positive introduction to each student’s academic career.

“We’ve rebranded as Haynes Preschool to reflect our strong commitment to early childhood education, while continuing to offer a nurturing environment that prioritizes the individual child’s needs,” said Shannon Lubas, Director of Haynes Preschool. “We view our role as both caregivers and educators, guiding children to explore, learn, and grow in a setting that fosters curiosity and creativity.”

Members of the Preserve Lakewood Schools group attended the Lakewood City School Board meeting on February 3rd. Four individuals spoke during the public comment period, presenting a unified request for the board to halt the Elementary Task Force Planning and shift focus to the 2026 Operating Levy issue. Each speaker had 3 minutes to address the board and shared their concerns.

Caity Solomon raised concerns about how the timing of the planning process has damaged trust in its outcome. She pointed out that the task force was formed after an outside consultant proposed seven scenarios, community surveys followed community conversations, and the decision to rule out the four corner schools as potential closures or repurposed schools led to disengagement from parents at those schools. Solomon also asked for information on when the traffic study would be available, when data on walkers vs. drivers would be collected, and where input from urban planning experts was. She ended by urging the board to pause the planning and focus on the upcoming levy.

Kelly Moyer also asked for a halt to the process until more data is gathered, emphasizing the need to harness the creativity of Lakewood residents to collaborate. Moyer explained that families move to Lakewood for its walkable schools, but the proposed scenarios would place the majority of students outside the ideal 0.87-mile walking range, which could increase traffic congestion as more parents would need to drive. Moyer pointed out the potential long-term negative effects on students, including social and emotional issues, lower test scores, higher absenteeism, and reduced graduation rates. She suggested using the available time wisely to implement changes that would have the least impact on students.

In the last issue of the Observer I outlined what, in my mind, are the main issues with the proposed elementary school closures. But the one big question that remains is: Why are we even discussing closing a school in the first place?

On the agenda of the first task force meeting, the purpose of the task force was discussed. It states:

“As educational leaders, we are responsible for caring for, protecting, and maintaining our facilities and buildings. Additionally, we have the responsibility to periodically review the use of our facilities and the role each facility plays in helping us achieve our mission in financially responsible and sustainable ways, as well as providing the greatest opportunities for our students’ growth.

The purpose of the Elementary Planning Task Force is to provide informed guidance and strategic recommendations to the superintendent on optimizing the use of district facilities, particularly where there is excess capacity.”

The charts showing capacity in the schools, however, reveal that elementary school capacity is the highest of all of the buildings.

So why are we talking about closing some of the most used buildings in the district? And whether at full, or partial capacity, as long as the community supports neighborhood schools and are willing to fund them, what is the significance of a building at 70% vs 85% capacity?

This has never been mentioned in the community meetings.

The purpose statement goes on to say:

“The Task Force will assist in analyzing scenarios for utilizing Lakewood’s elementary schools; evaluating the financial, educational, and logistical impacts of potential changes; and developing opportunities to engage the community.”

A consulting firm was hired before the Task Force convened, to put together suggested scenarios for building utilization. In a world where 99%+ of school districts are consolidated, this consulting firm recommended that Lakewood City Schools… should consolidate. The August 28, 2024 Task Force Meeting presentation lists the scenarios as:

1 – Reinvent Lincoln

2 – Reinvent Roosevelt

3 – Reinvent Grant

4 – Reinvent Grant & Roosevelt

5 – Reinvent Lincoln & Roosevelt

6 – Reinvent Lincoln & Grant

7 – Modify current boundaries

In the community meetings the scenarios were boiled down to three basic options: close one school to use for expanded pre-k OR do that plus close another school for “community education and recreation programming,” OR… redraw the district maps.

We were not told where the proposals for expanded pre-k or community space came from, or even given a clear definition of what the community building would be used for, yet it appears to form the basis of the need to close up to two schools.

Harding’s Junior Model United Nations Team had a fantastic experience at John Carroll University earlier this month. They began the process of preparing for the conference in October with researching problems facing their respective committees and constructing a position paper with their partners.

They began the process of preparing for the conference in October with researching problems facing their respective committees and constructing a position paper with their partners.

The next step was to participate in committees with students from all over the Greater Cleveland area sharing their positions in hopes to come to resolutions; collaborating, communicating, and cooperating throughout the process.

On the second day of the conference the committees were given crisis scenarios that forced them to put aside their work to that point and act on each of the scenarios.

Harding’s teams of delegates rose to the occasion with Andrew Babson and Tyler Kinder taking home a Superior Delegation Award, Audrey Gregory and Laine Taylor taking home an Excellent Delegation Award, and Gia Jirousek and Delaney Mason taking home a Honorable Mention Delegation Award.

The entire team of 16 students showed the conference what it means to embody the Vision of a Lakewood Ranger with their participation in the conference.

Preserve Lakewood Schools is working to educate Lakewood residents about Lakewood City School District’s current process which may result in the closing of one or even two of our neighborhood elementary schools.  We are a growing collective of parents and residents concerned about preserving our neighborhood schools, and more than 850 residents have signed our petition to halt the closing of any of Lakewood’s elementary schools.

Below we share our response to the recently published FAQs by Lakewood City School District on their website and in the Observer.  The questions were generated by the district, with their answers copied and pasted below. You will find our group’s response below each one. Numbers have been added to the questions for clarity of this article.

1. Who makes up the task force?

District response: “The task force is made up of parents from all seven elementary boundaries, community members, city leaders, alumni, district administrators and teachers who reside in Lakewood. Community members, including District parents, make up two-thirds of the task force.”

Preserve Lakewood Schools response:  We have performed an analysis of the list of Task Force members as published on the district’s website and derived the following breakdown of the 49 members:

• 5 Board of Education Members

• 2 City Council Members (1 of which was appointed to council after Task Force involvement, to be clear)

• 29 parents/residents

• 13 Lakewood City School District employees

The total of Board of Education (BOE) members plus district employees serving on the Task Force is 18 people, or 37% of the 49-member Task Force. This doesn’t account for City Council presence. Are district employees free to speak openly without fear of retribution?  Why are BOE members serving as members of a Task Force that will make recommendations to the superintendent for a final decision, who will in turn make recommendations to the BOE to vote on? FutureThink, the outside consulting firm, has a representative present at the meetings and seems to be involved from a presentation and public relations perspective. We welcome more clarity on this role.

It is misleading to claim that this process was shaped by the community, when in fact, 37% of the task force is either a school board member, or is employed by the school district, and may be reluctant to speak their mind.

Finally, the process for developing the task force itself has not been transparent or widely shared. The task force was formed by the superintendent and Board of Education members, with potential members specifically and individually invited to apply to participate. The application process was not advertised widely in the school district’s communications and had a very short window for response.  

2. Why weren’t more scenarios created?

Recently, the Lakewood City School District has been discussing plans to "repurpose" (close) up to 2 elementary schools - with Lincoln, Roosevelt, or Grant being on the chopping block. These changes may deprive hundreds of children of their convenient access to primary education and could lead to overcrowded classrooms in the remaining institutions. 

Local elementary schools are the heart of the communities they serve, providing more than just education. This petition seeks to express our collective concern and to urge the Lakewood City School District to suspend the repurposing process, instead exploring alternative options, while collecting accurate data and focusing first on the passage of the upcoming levy.

Notable to ALL residents, the district is planning to propose an increased levy on the ballot in 2026 after fellow residents just saw their property taxes increase at least 30%. State funding for this district is not tied to enrollment, being a guaranteed district. Taxpayers will be asked for more money even if schools are repurposed and it is important that our voices are heard on how the schools should be serving the needs of Lakewood’s families. 

Stand with us in this vital cause to safeguard the quality of education for our children, preserve the walkability and culture, and maintain the real estate values in Lakewood.

Because this issue affects all Lakewood residents, please consider signing this petition at https://change.org/preservelakewoodschools or use the QR code below.

The Lakewood City Schools' Open Enrollment period for the 2025-2026 school year will begin on March 1, 2025 and continue until April 15, 2025. An online form will be available on the district website beginning the morning of March 1. Notification of open enrollment status will be as follows: The first-round of notifications will occur the week of June 9, 2025. Kindergarten notification will only be made the week of August 11, 2025. If you have any questions regarding Open Enrollment, please call 216-529-4244.

As part of Lakewood City Schools' Hike & Bike partnership with the City of Lakewood and Bike Lakewood, we are encouraging students in grades PreK-5 to walk to school if they are able on Tuesday, Feb. 11. Walking to school is not just for warm weather...grab your hat and gloves and a warm coat and enjoy the crisp air!

My name is Katie Slife Rustad and I’m a mother of four children, three currently enrolled in the Lakewood Schools and a lifelong Lakewood Resident. I’m also a product of the Lakewood Schools, as are my husband, my parents, my in-laws, our brothers and many of our aunts, uncles and cousins. My husband’s grandfather graduated from Lakewood High in 1945, making our children 4th generation Rangers. To put it simply, we are entrenched in and massive advocates of the Lakewood Public Schools: our house bleeds purple and gold.

You may have seen information on the Elementary Planning Task Force that was convened earlier this year and the community meetings that were set up to communicate their findings. You may also be aware of the rumors circulating for the past couple years that the administration wants to close a school. I like to think of myself as a logical and pragmatic person - I assumed that if a school needs to be closed that’s unfortunate, but that there must be sound reasoning behind it. I attended one of the community meetings with an open mind, hoping to gain an understanding.

In the 30-minute presentation we learned that enrollment is down, and operating costs have increased. The district has responded by eliminating positions through attrition, which creates the need to shuffle teachers between elementary buildings based on need. There is also inconsistency in class sizes across buildings, and some other logistical issues with operating decentralized preschools. This was all positioned as the reason to form a task force to evaluate building usage.

The task force was charged with analyzing scenarios for the buildings in the future. There was then a financial overview that told us that: 

*There is no impending or forecasted budget deficit, 

*State funding for the district is NOT impacted by the decline in enrollment, and 

*Regardless of any changes made, Lakewood will need to pass another levy in 2026.

This set the stage to cover the scenarios the task force reviewed, all but one of which involve closing an elementary school, several involve closing two...and this is where they lost me.

Based on the presented challenges, we’re going to jump into closing buildings? There was also an expressed desire to open a centralized pre-k building in one of the closed schools which would allow increased enrollment in pre-k. There was no data showing unmet demand to justify a centralized pre-k. It felt like a very big leap of logic to me--as if the facts were chosen to back up the conclusions--and I left afterwards feeling very confused. A friend of mine on the task force encouraged me to attend another meeting – there is so much information he said, and it may take a few times hearing it to digest.

Hearing the presentation a second time only cemented my skepticism in the logic and after reviewing the information again several times online I question the school board’s decision to go through this process, especially to alter the fabric of our school district so dramatically and permanently in such a short period of time. To list what in my mind are the main, but not only, issues:

I cannot believe the district would consider these weak arguments for closing or repurposing the fine schools which the community so recently built, and which are providing an excellent education for our city’s young people.

We moved to Lakewood and chose Lakewood public schools because of the district’s excellent educational reputation, and history of commitment to our children.

While enrollment has clearly declined since the early 2000’s, recent enrollment figures (from the community engagement presentation) point to a stabilization in numbers. A careful look at the enrollment figures from 2021-2024 show a stable enrollment, and are not aligned with the (old) projection data shown for 2025-2031. The projected figures are no longer valid and should not be used as a basis for major facilities changes.

Attendance boundaries are a well-understood and common approach to addressing class size and school attendance inequity, as local neighborhood dynamics change over time. The task force should focus on the re-establishing attendance boundaries to address class size inequity and teacher travel issues.

If the district requires additional funds to continue operating at its current level, additional levees should be pursued.

The Lakewood community will gladly support additional funds, as long as we believe the district is making wise, long-term decisions for the future of our schools and our children. Closing or repurposing our excellent school buildings is short-sighted.

Corey Snipes, Edwards Ave (two kids in Lakewood public schools since 2018, Lakewood business owner)

Over the five months that we have engaged the Elementary Planning Task Force and the community through our Community Conversations about a possible reconfiguration of our elementary schools, many questions have arisen regarding the process. Hopefully, the Frequently Asked Questions below will bring some clarity.

Our next steps include gathering input from the community survey, which is open through Feb. 2, and reconvening the task force for four more meetings beginning in February. The survey is available on our website at www.lakewoodcityschools.org or you can scan the QR code on this page. More information regarding the task force can be found on our website's Elementary Planning Task Force page.

Lakewood City Schools' Kindergarten Parent Information Night will be held Thursday, Jan. 30, 2024, from 6:30-8 pm in the Grant Elementary School cafeteria. Students must be 5 years old on or before Sept. 30, 2025 in order to be eligible to enter kindergarten in Fall 2025.The program will include a presentation from the Department of Teaching & Learning on details about the curriculum and the registration process Registration for the 2025-2026 school year also begins on Jan. 30. Preschool registration for 2025-2026 is open now.

Join The Lakewood Project as they pay tribute to Women who Rock! The “Just a Girl” Concert is set for Saturday, Jan. 25 at 7pm in the Civic Auditorium. The concert will feature music by Fleetwood Mac, Blondie, Cyndi Lauper, Pat Benatar, Stevie Nicks, The Bangles, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Heart, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts and more. This is a great way to spend a Saturday night with your family. Enjoying music, singing and dancing and celebrating the talented student musicians of The Lakewood Project electric rock orchestra! See ticket prices below:

Pre Sale Adults $8.00
Pre Sale Students $5.00
Day of Adults $10.00
Students $8.00

Visit www.lakewoodcityschools.org to purchase tickets.

According to the ODNR (Ohio Department of Natural Resources), in 2023, there were 34,431 registered vessels in Cuyahoga County. The top two causes of fatalities on Ohio waterways both in 2022 and 2023 were falls overboard and capsizing with the known cause of death being drowning: 2022, 12 drownings and 2023, 10 drownings.  In Ohio anyone born on or after January 1, 1982 and operating a vessel with an engine 10 horsepower or more is required to complete a NASBLA (National Association State Boating Law Adminstrators) safe boating course.

U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 75 is offering two upcoming safe boating courses at Lakewood High School.

 Both classes will run from Thursday, January 30-Thursday, April 3 from 7:00-9:00 at Lakewood High School. Both classes include Boat America course material which will qualify students for the Oho boater card. Possible insurance discount.
 
Boating Skills & Seamanship  - Thursday, January 30-April 3, 2025–materials $45. Powerboat oriented. Boat handling skills and safety training including boating nomenclature, VHF marine radio procedures, navigation rules, etc.

Congratulations to the 10 Harding Middle School students who had their artwork selected for display in the entryway of the main branch of Lakewood Public Library! The art of Braydon Raycher, Lily Swift, Chloe Scharfield, Fiona Forni, Lillian Gingerich, Caitlyn Fegely, Myroslav Pasternak, T'Honest Holloway and Rio Blaze will be on display for two weeks beginning Dec. 5.

Congratulations to our Lakewood City Schools November Educator Spotlight honorees: Garfield Middle School teacher Tom Hagenbaugh and Hayes Elementary Family Resource Coordinator Maria Salzer! 

TOM HAGENBAUGH  

Garfield Middle School teacher Tom Hagenbaugh, who began his career in the finance industry, fairly quickly realized his passion lay elsewhere. Inspired in part by his mother, a special education paraprofessional, and his best friend and sister, who has special needs, Tom returned to school to get his masters in special education. Both he and we are so glad he did!

Working to be the best teacher he can be is what drives Tom. “Every night I think about how I can do better and make sure my students are growing every day,” he says.

To accomplish that Tom employs his Vision of a Lakewood Educator competencies. Working in the BRIDGES classroom at Garfield, Tom’s empathy is most notable.

“Tom provides the safest and most caring environment,” says his nominator, Mark Mitchell. Adds his second nominator, Erica O’Grady: “(Tom)  makes a point to know his students and takes the time to make each of them feel special every single day.”

He is also a great communicator and collaborator, always seeking out his colleagues’ points of view to make sure he has considered all possible options when a problem presents itself. 

Do you know of an older Lakewood resident that would like to hear about the latest news of the District and enjoy a delicious breakfast? Our senior citizen holiday breakfast is one of our favorite traditions! Join Lakewood City Schools for a Holiday Breakfast for our senior citizens on December 13, 9 am at Grant Elementary School, 1470 Victoria Avenue. Enter the parking lot off of Elmwood Ave. Please RSVP by December 4 to 216-529-4074 or [email protected]. Call now to RSVP as seats are limited.

Have you ever been to the Ranger Cafe housed at Lakewood High School? Well, what are you waiting for?! It's a hidden gem of a lunch spot run by the West Shore Career-Tech Culinary Arts chef instructors and students. Established in 1993, this hands-on, industry-based program in restaurant management and food service prepares students for professional culinary programs, immediate employment, and/or further education. Ranger Café selections are prepared fresh daily. Here are the details to know:

• Reservations are required

• Open Tuesdays and Wednesdays (when school is in session)

• Hours 12:15 pm – 1:45 pm

• To make a reservation, please call: 216-529-4165 ext. 1 (Please give at least 48 notice for your reservation.You will receive a return phone call within 2-3 school days, confirming your reservation; if you do not, the reservation has not been made)

The menu serves a delicious variety of soups, salads, sandwiches and heartier entrees, including a fish of the day. Give it a try!

The Lakewood City Schools will be holding seven Elementary Community Conversations beginning later this month and stretching into December. The purpose of these conversations is to gather feedback from the community on the work done by the Elementary Planning Task Force on how to best use our elementary facilities in order to provide the most impactful and equitable education for all students as enrollment has trended downward. Please consider attending one of these seven meetings to learn about the work the Task Force has done and to provide input or ask questions. We want to hear from you!

The Lakewood Ranger Spirit/Homecoming Parade will kick off Homecoming Weekend on Friday, Oct. 4. The parade will step off at 5:30 pm from the corner of Abbieshire Avenue and Edgewater Drive, head south on Abbieshire to Lake Avenue, east on Lake to Belle Avenue, south on Belle to Clifton Boulevard, east on Clifton to Bunts Avenue, south on Bunts to Franklin Boulevard, west on Franklin and end at LHS North Parking lot across street from Lakewood High School. Wear your purple and gold and bring your Ranger Spirit to cheer on the parade participants! The Rangers will take on Nomandy in the Homecoming Game, which kicks off at 7 pm at First Federal Lakewood Stadium.

Each new school year the Lakewood City Schools celebrates its numerous Lakewood High School students who have earned recognition from the College Board due to the students' scores on the college-level Advanced Placement exams taken in May. The District proudly congratulates the 106 current students and recent graduates who have earned AP Scholar honors. We believe this is the first time the school has topped the 100 Scholars mark!

The following are the District's AP honorees:

AP Scholars with Distinction (earned by averaging at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken, and grades of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams): 

Meredith Barcelona, Ronan Barley, Rowan Brown, Leah Campbell, Aiden Clasen, Madison Comer, Ava Cuffari, Anna Daso, William Detmar, Jazmin Dunay, Carter Eardley, Jana Evans, Camden Fegely, Erica Frischauf, Fiona Gjermeni, Mateo Guajardo, Callum Holland, Edward Horton, Shannon Katzenberger, Margot King, Michael Klasa, Maggie Lane, Sophia Lipowski, Amalija Marich, Evan Miller, Mae Mohar, Daniel O'Brien, Emily Potoczak, Hutch Reed, Owen Rumsey, Bode Smith, Arabella Spear, Danka Wentzel, Andrew Winters

AP Scholars with Honor (earned by averaging at least 3.25 on all AP Exams taken and grades of 3 or higher on four or more of these exams):

Sam Browning, Cicely Campen, Rosemary Cronin, Cameron Crouch, Olivia Diemert, Ava Donaldson, Madelynn Ellis, Helen Fraunfelder, Logan Friend, Leonardo Garman, Lukas George, Jake Hirsch, Mckenna Hunt, Andrew Jablonowski, Emily Jarecke, Kathryn Jirousek, Aniya Johnson, Jackson Lodge, Isabella Marzicola, Anna Maurer, Ian Molinski, Colton Moran, Myint Mo Nee, Charles Quinn, Jonathan Reighard, Stella Rosen, Jane Wagle, Adele Wentzel, Cameron Wereb, Iris Wright, Corinne Wroblewski

Come share your thoughts, ideas and concerns about the Lakewood City Schools with Superintendent Niedzwiecki at her first Listen & Learn session of the school year. It will take place on Thursday, Oct. 17 from 6-7 pm in the Ranger Cafe at Lakewood High School. Enter at the flagpole entrance in front of the school. Treasurer Kent Zeman will join the superintendent to provide a brief financial update on the District. These sessions are informal one-hour discussions and community members are welcome to drop in any time during the hour. 

Hayes Elementary recently launched a new house system, similar to the concept in Harry Potter, to help the school nurture and build a better sense of community and belonging among each other and to build on the culture of school pride, empathy and inclusion. Hayes is the District’s second school to use the house system, developed at Ron Clark Academy. Roosevelt Elementary launched their house program in 2020.

Hayes held a raucous initial house sorting assembly on Sept. 11 & 12 where each student learned which house they would belong to. The houses are comprised of all grade levels. Staff are assigned houses as well. At the start of each school year, new students will find out their house at the sorting assembly. The houses meet regularly throughout the school year to collaborate on activities and check in on each other.

Friendly competition is a big part of the house concept as the houses compete for points that can be used to buy prizes in the school’s PBIS store. At the end of the year, a house champion is declared. Teachers can award points for kindness, academics, service, character, school spirit and just generally going above and beyond.

This first year of houses at Hayes will focus a lot on students learning the history behind their house names, including the country from which the name is derived, and brainstorming ideas for projects throughout the year that will continue to grow the sense of community at the school. One activity that is definitely in Hayes’ sight is a joint event with the Roosevelt community.

Congratulations to Lakewood High School seniors Madelaine Gabella and Danka Wentzel on being named Semifinalists in the 70th annual National Merit Scholarship Corp. competition! This designation recognizes Madelaine and Danka as among the top students in the nation based on junior year PSAT scores. LHS also boasts four Commended Students, seniors Beckett Broadwater, William Cosgriff, Anna Daso, Helen Fraunfelder and Connor Pierce.

Madelaine and Danka are part of an elite group of 16,000 Semifinalists across the country whose PSAT scores in the 2023-2024 school year put them in the top tier of the more than 1.3 million students who took the PSAT. Semifinalists represent less than 1% of U. S. high school seniors and are the highest scoring entrants in their state. The number of Semifinalists named in each state is proportional to the state's percentage of the national total of graduating high school seniors.

Semifinalists are eligible to continue on in the competition in hopes of being named a Finalist and receiving one of more than 7,100 scholarships worth nearly $28 million to be awarded in the spring. Finalists will be notified of this designation in February.

National Merit Scholarship Corp. Commended Students are among the top 5% of PSAT scorers. Although Beckett, William, Anna, Helen and Connor do not move on in the scholarship competition, we recognize them as among the best students in the state.

The 37th annual Ranger Marching Band Festival will take place on Sept. 21 at 6 pm and will feature the Alliance, Beachwood, Berkshire, Fairview and Lakewood High School marching bands! In addition, the CWRU Marching Spartans will take the field as the featured college marching band. Ticket prices increase the day of the festival, so get your tickets early! Tickets sales are online only at www.payschools.com/events/home. No cash will be accepted at the gates for tickets or programs.

Congratulations to Lakewood High students Bryce Sandoval and Abby Kovach on being chosen to be part of the Ohio Music Educators Association’s Northeast Ohio Regional Orchestra! Bryce was also selected as an alternate cellist for the All-State Orchestra. Bryce and Abby, who plays bass, will perform with the regional honors group at the OMEA's annual conference in Cleveland next February.

The Lakewood City Schools has convened a 50-person Elementary Planning Task Force to explore what is the optimal use and maintenance of the District's elementary facilities. This group, which is scheduled to meet four times this fall, will provide strategic recommendations to Superintendent Niedzwiecki, focusing on efficiently using our elementary school buildings, especially where excess capacity exists.

The task force's responsibilities include analyzing the financial, educational, and logistical impacts of potential changes to the way our current elementary buildings are used, engaging the community in these decisions, and exploring opportunities to expand early childhood education and community programs. Its goal is to align facility use with the District's mission in a financially responsible and sustainable manner.

This task force is the second such group that is part of a comprehensive examination by the District of all of its facilities that began in spring 2023 with the Facilities Study Task Force. Information on that task force and meeting information and updates regarding the Elementary Planning Task Force can be found on the District's website at www.lakewoodcityschools.org. Community members are encouraged to check back to the page for the latest news, including agendas, meeting summaries and recommendations or decisions made by the task force.

Did you know that in Ohio, students who have never been chronically absent are 6.7 times more likely to read on grade level by the end of third grade and nine times more likely to graduate from high school on time? Those stats are just some of the reasons why the Lakewood City Schools has partnered with the Cleveland Browns this school year to be part of their Stay In the Game attendance program. 

The Stay in the Game network was designed to support improved student attendance. It launched in 2019 with the leadership of the Cleveland Browns Foundation, Ohio Department of Education and Workforce and Harvard’s Proving Ground. The program provides partner districts with: 

• A campaign playbook to customize district and school campaigns
• Browns-themed attendance campaign materials to use in our schools and community
• Incentives and activities to reward improved attendance
• Peer learning opportunities to meaningfully impact attendance

Harrison Elementary has earned a Grow Ohio Grant that will provide the school $13,465 to implement a comprehensive program that will educate students about agriculture and food-related career opportunities and give them an opportunity to grow their own food at school.

The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce grant will allow the Harrison community to engage with several local food producer organizations throughout the year:

• Fork Farms - Will provide the school with a curriculum to learn about agriculture and food-related occupations through quarterly school assemblies.

• Ohio City Farm run by Source: Cleveland - Over 50 Harrison English language learners will visit this nonprofit run by refugees to see refugees in our community engaged in running a fully functional farm only miles from where they live. Will also explore using Ohio City Farm produce for USDA school lunches.

• Rust Belt Riders/Tilthe Soil - Will provide soil for the school’s Green Team garden projects.

• Cleveland Botanical Gardens - Green Team and EL students will visit and learn about plants and plant-related occupations.

The grant will also provide the money to buy an indoor hydroponic Flex Farm. The fruits and vegetables grown indoors will be grown specifically for use in the Harrison cafeteria to be served in school lunches, along with the produce grown in the school’s outdoor garden. The fruits and vegetables grown at Harrison will also be used by the culinary program at West Shore Career-Tech for their Ranger Cafe at Lakewood High School. The Harrison Green Team students will have the opportunity to dine at the Ranger Cafe to see how their food was used and have a chance to interact with the chefs, culinary students and the district’s dietitian.

Since its inception in 1994, Lakewood's H2O (Help to Others) Summer Service Camp has been a beacon of community service and youth empowerment. The camp, part of the broader H2O program established in 1993, offers middle school students a transformative experience focused on volunteer service and community building. Each year, the camp runs four sessions, each spanning eight days, where campers engage in various service activities that include everything from environmental conservation projects to organizing a community-wide Clothing Drive & Super Sale.

The mission of H2O Summer Service Camp is clear: to connect Lakewood youth with opportunities to serve their community, nurture a culture of kindness, and help them develop the skills needed to become engaged citizens. The camp is grounded in the belief that through service, education, and reflection, young people can grow into individuals who are not only aware of the world around them but are also empowered to make meaningful contributions to it.

Throughout the camp, participants work with local organizations such as the Greater Cleveland Foodbank, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, and Lakewood Earth and Food. These partnerships allow campers to experience a variety of service sites, where they can learn about and actively contribute to important community efforts. Each day ends with Circle Time, a reflective session where campers and counselors share stories and insights, further reinforcing the camp's theme and mission.

What sets H2O Summer Service Camp apart is its inclusive approach—camp activities do not require specific talents or abilities, making the experience accessible to a wide range of students. The camp's focus on teamwork, relationship-building, and community connection ensures that every participant feels valued and capable of making a difference.