A newly unveiled school facilities plan in the Cleveland Heights-University Heights School District (CH-UH) has the potential to blend historic preservation and neighborhood schools with cutting edge, 21st century learning environments, school leaders say.

The plan calls for eliminating several schools, tearing down 70s-era additions to older, historic buildings that will be preserved, and creating new interiors and additions to facilitate a technology-oriented, interest-based curriculum. Additionally, Wiley Middle School will be torn down and rebuilt.

The plan also retains neighborhood-based schools that are highly valued by the community. It calls for converting several primary schools to K-3rd grade buildings and converting three middle schools to 4th-8th grade buildings.

School leaders arrived at the new plan after presenting an earlier plan that was harshly received at community meetings. The earlier plan called for closing a larger number of buildings and effectively eliminating neighborhood schools. It would have created several large K-8 campuses in addition to the high school.

To gain additional input, CH-UH school leaders will host a series of community meetings at elementary schools in the coming weeks. Then the final plan is expected to be rolled out at a meeting at the high school on April 18th.

“As we move forward in the master facilities planning process, we want to assure our community that we are hearing and respecting all of the input we are receiving,” said Superintendent Doug Heuer in a news release. Heuer also noted that the plan is not yet final and additional refinements can still be made.

Source: Doug Heuer, CH-UH School District
Writer: Lee Chilcote