Preserve Lakewood Schools
Our Stance
Lakewood City School District (LCSD) has proposed closing and repurposing 1-2 elementary schools due to reasons that have shifted over the course of discussions. This will impact everyone in Lakewood, from increased traffic, to property values, to loss of Lakewood's walkable charm. Here is some background info:
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"Low enrollment" as the originally stated district reason has been disproved with their own updated data showing that enrollment is stabilizing. 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. Working together, we can course-correct with marketing efforts.
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In a March 11, 2025 letter to the House Finance Committee regarding House Bill 96, LCSD 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.”
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LCSD's own community survey shows that Lakewoodites' collective top priorities are:
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Minimize walking time to schools
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Creating equitable class sizes*
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Avoiding students crossing through major thoroughfares.
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*Equitable class sizes can be achieved through simply redrawing boundary lines, without closing entire buildings.
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Closing and repurposing one school will save only $500,000/annually per LCSD presentations at Community Conversations. This is roughly 0.6% of the annual operating budget. Regardless of whether the school board votes to close and repurpose schools, they still plan to ask Lakewood voters to approve a new levy in 2026. For the value of our walkable neighborhood schools to current families and in attracting more to Lakewood, we believe that this cost savings is not worth the sacrifice.
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Longer walking distances, especially for disadvantaged families, is likely to exacerbate absenteeism and does not support LCSD's "Stay in the Game" attendance initiative. LCSD has no plans to add bus service for general education students.
FAQs
What is Preserve Lakewood Schools?
Preserve Lakewood Schools is a coalition of parents, residents, and leaders in Lakewood, Ohio, committed to preventing the closure/repurposing of elementary schools by Lakewood City Schools, and supporting the long-term vitality of Lakewood's public schools.
What is Lakewood's School District Planning to Do?
Lakewood City Schools is currently considering closing and repurposing one or even two of its seven neighborhood elementary schools. The superintendent has maintained that the reasons for this aren't financial, but rather to equalize the class sizes across the elementary schools. Our analysis of the district's data shows that class sizes are equal with the school facilities arranged as-is (the "Do Nothing" scenario shown in the chart here).
Which Elementary Schools Are Being Considered for Repurposing (Closure)?
The three elementary schools being considered for repurposing (closure) are: Grant Lincoln Roosevelt Up to 2 of these buildings may be selected for closure and repurposing.
The above map is from the LCSD initial Task Force presentation, page 11, with the red stars added by our team for graphic clarity to indicate the schools which could potentially be repurposed (closed).
Weren't those schools just built?
The three elementary schools being considered for closure and repurposing are Grant, Lincoln, and Roosevelt. All were built/rebuilt in 2016. In 2013, the voters of Lakewood overwhelmingly voted (70%-30%) to fund the building and renovation of all seven of Lakewood's elementary schools.
What are the 7 scenarios everyone keeps talking about?
Lakewood City School District assembled a Task Force to study the following options: 1) Close and repurpose Lincoln, and modify current elementary school boundaries 2) Close and repurpose Roosevelt, and modify current elementary school boundaries 3) Close and repurpose Grant, and modify current elementary school boundaries 4) Close and repurpose both Grant and Roosevelt, and modify current elementary school boundaries 5) Close and repurpose both Lincoln and Roosevelt, and modify current elementary school boundaries 6) Close and repurpose both Lincoln and Grant, and modify current elementary school boundaries 7) Modify current (attendance) boundaries
Who generated the 7 scenarios?
The seven scenarios currently under consideration were created by FutureThink, an outside consulting firm based in Columbus, Ohio, in collaboration with the school district’s administration. The community task force was asked to react to the possible scenarios upon their first meeting.
Who is on the Task Force?
We have analyzed 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. We have heard from several task force members who are school district employees, who don't feel free to speak out in meetings since their paycheck depends on the school district. 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? 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. That being said, we appreciate the time and efforts that task force members are putting forth during this effort, and we hope that they can have discussions based on data and meaningful, unbiased input from the community.
Why Is The School District Considering Closing and Repurposing 1-2 Schools?
The superintendent has stated that the top reason for making these changes is to equalize the class sizes between the elementary schools. Currently, some schools have around 16-20 students per class, and other schools have around 23-28 students per class.
What Would Happen to the Closed and Repurposed School(s)?
The district has proposed turning the building(s) into either a centralized Pre-K building, or a building for community recreation programs.
How Will Closing and Repurposing 1-2 Elementary Schools Impact Lakewood?
The loss of even one of Lakewood's neighborhood elementary schools would be devastating to the community, leading to decreased home values, loss of sense of community, and increased strain and challenges for students who have already experienced disruption to their elementary years due to COVID.
My Child's School Isn't Being Considered for Closure/I Don't Have Kids in the Schools. How Will This Impact Me?
The school district is planning to redraw the boundaries for all seven elementary schools as part of this process, so your child's home school may change. Further, closing and repurposing 1-2 elementary schools would mean longer walks for students, increased traffic, longer lines for drop off and pickup, increased class sizes for all of the remaining elementary schools, more caregivers driving their students to school leading to more cars on the road, more traffic and longer commutes. Closing schools can also negatively affect property values.
What Will Happen When the School District Redraws the Boundary Lines?
Each scenario currently being considered by the school district includes redrawing the boundary lines for all seven of Lakewood's elementary schools. Even if your student's school is not being considered for closure, your student could be reassigned to a different elementary school beginning in the 2026-27 school year.
Would Closing and Repurposing 1-2 Schools Mean Cost Savings for the School District?
This district's funding is not tied to enrollment numbers. Whether all seven elementary schools are retained or not, the school district will still need to ask Lakewood voters to approve a levy in 2026. These changes would have little financial impact, since the school building(s) would still be in operation. The estimated cost of running one school is approximately less than 1% of the overall operating budget.
Would Closing and Repurposing 1-2 Schools Mean Long-Term Cost Savings?
This district's funding is not tied to enrollment numbers. Lakewood voters have approved school levies consistently for years, and residents have paid high taxes to support our quality, neighborhood schools, among other amazing services in our community. We need to hold our elected officials accountable to continuing to offer the high-quality, neighborhood schools that we have invested in because we believe they are an essential part of our walkable neighborhoods and our community.
What Would It Mean To Create a Building for Recreation Department Programs?
If a second school is closed and repurposed, the school district could utilize the building for classes offered through the recreation department. It wouldn't be a gym like the YMCA - it would simply be additional classroom space for recreation department programs. The superintendent has not yet shared any data regarding a demonstrated need for additional recreational space.
Why Are Neighborhood Schools So Important To Lakewood?
Lakewood's walkable neighborhood elementary schools are the heartbeat of our community. Many families buy homes and settle here for the walkable, close-knit community. Losing even one elementary school would be devastating to our community. There is no school bus service in the city, by design, as the city fabric was set up to house neighborhood elementary schools.
How Would Closing and Repurposing 1-2 Elementary Schools Impact All of Lakewood?
Closing and repurposing even one elementary school would lead to more students walking longer distances to school, and potentially across more busy, major roads and more students crossing the railroad tracks. The school district is already understaffed for crossing guards and cannot staff all of its current crossing locations. More parents would drive their students to school, leading to increased traffic, longer commutes, and longer drop-off and pick-up lines. Despite the increased safety risks that closing and repurposing 1-2 elementary schools would result in, the school district has stated that they do not plan to conduct a safety or traffic study prior to closing schools.
Where Do You Get Your Information From?
We are analyzing and using information and data directly from the school district, as well as other reliable sources, such as the census, NOACA, and other government and community organizations that track data. Members of our coalition attended all of the recent community conversations, have read and analyzed data available on the school district's website, and are also analyzing data from various relevant community studies. We welcome a representative from the school district to correct any possible incorrect information, or provide additional data.
Wouldn’t Expanded Pre-K Offerings Be Good For Lakewood?
Of course early childhood education is important for Lakewood’s students. Voters should expect that our school district only makes drastic changes in its school offerings after conducting relevant studies, gathering and evaluating pertinent data, gathering meaningful community input, considering the community’s needs, and presenting a well-researched, clear business case to the community. The school district has not conducted a study or gathered meaningful data that show a pressing need for increased Pre-K offerings in Lakewood. Lakewood is fortunate to have a thriving ecosystem of preschool offerings, and Lakewood City Schools’ Pre-K programs are of course an important part of that ecosystem. The information presented by the school district provides very little data for the reasoning why providing Pre-K only in a centrally located building would provide more value to the community than retaining our seven neighborhood elementary schools.
How Would a Centralized Pre-K Building Impact the District's Pre-K Offerings at Elementary Schools?
If the school district were to close and repurpose an elementary school to create a centralized Pre-K building, the district would no longer offer preschool or Pre-K programs at any of the other elementary schools, eliminating an important aspect of Lakewood's Pre-K programs. Many families with children in elementary and Pre-K benefit greatly from enrolling their Pre-K student at the same Lakewood elementary school where their other student(s) attends. With a centralized Pre-K building, families with elementary and Pre-K students would have to drop off and pick up students at two separate locations, leading to more traffic, stress, safety issues, and longer commutes. Also, enrolling students in Pre-K at the elementary where they will attend creates a natural ease and familiarity as they transition into Kindergarten.
What is the Timeline?
The superintendent convened a Task Force in August 2024 which is currently meeting every 3-4 weeks. In May 2025, the Task Force will make a recommendation to the superintendent, the superintendent will make a recommendation to the school board, and the school board will have the final vote. The school district has stated that the earliest these changes would take place would be the 2026-2027 school year.
