Lakewood Residents React to Voter-Approved School Levy

Issue 14 passed with about 68 percent of the vote. Most of the Lakewood Patch readers were happy about that.

McKinley Elementary School Headed to Auction

The district first offered the property to charter schools, a required step in the process. When no bids came in, the Lakewood Board of Education approved moving the vacant property to the market.

The shuttered McKinley Elementary School — and the 2.77-acre parcel it sits on — is heading to a public auction. The district first offered the property to charter schools, a required step in the process. When no bids came in, the Lakewood Board of Education approved moving the vacant property to the market. “The next step in the process is that it goes to an auction, open to anyone who’s interested in the property,” said Superintendent Jeff Patterson. However, the board has the right to reject “any and all bids.”  “If there’s no successful bidder, we can move to a private sale,” added Patterson. Rumors are swirling — from business to housing developments — but no one has come forward with a proposal. The sale will take place before July, …

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The original Bill

5:50 pm on Saturday, May 11, 2013

Ian, note in the article where it says "When/if the property is sold, the money made from the sale must go into the district’s capital improvement fund. It couldn’t be used for the district’s day-to-day operations." Your previous comments on the operating levy suggested they sell buildings instead of coming to the voters with a levy request. Do you now see how wrong you were?   more ›

Issue 14: Lakewood Schools 3.9-Mill Operating Levy

The operating levy would cost owners of a $100,000 home $10 per month.

The past few years haven’t been financially easy for the Lakewood City Schools. The district is asking residents to approve a 3.9-mill operating levy to help offset some of the cuts made by the state. The operating levy would cost owners of a $100,000 home $10 per month. Operating levies are used to pay for regular expenses, like salaries and classroom materials, in the school district. The levy is expected to generate about $3.33 million each year for the Lakewood City Schools if passed. The levy would bring in less money the first year, since it would only be in effect for half the year. Collections would not begin until 2014. District officials have said that the 6.9-mill levy passed in 2009 has been “wiped out” by cuts made by the …

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Official Report Card: Lakewood Schools Earn ‘Continuous Improvement’

The release of the state report cards was delayed for a state investigation into whether some districts manipulated attendance data.

It took a while to get the grades, but the official marks for Lakewood City Schools are in: Continuous Improvement. The news isn’t much of a surprise to school officials, after they received word in September about the district’s progress. The release of the report cards was delayed for a state investigation into whether some districts manipulated attendance data. The available information released last year included the percentage of students who scored proficient or higher on state tests and the graduation rates for the 2011-2012 school year report card. The new information shows the district's final grade at “continuous improvement" for the 2011-12 school year. In September, district officials said they expected to drop from the “…

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The original Bill

12:40 pm on Thursday, February 28, 2013

This is not a recent development. I have lived in Lakewood for 25 years and this has been going on for as long as I have lived here. Lakewood has always been a community with affordable housing and good schools both of which are draws for immigrants. You seem to think this is a bad thing. At one time your ancestors were also immigrants. Unless you are descended from Native Americans.   more ›

'Changes and Challenges' Ahead for Lakewood Schools

Superintendent Jeffrey Patterson shares a message to the community on the district’s website explaining the work ahead.

The school district may be looking to place a levy before voters in May; considering the sale of the shuttered McKinley Elementary School; and getting ready for a full transition to a new curriculum. This year is expected to be busy for the Lakewood City Schools. Superintendent Jeff Patterson issued a statement on the district’s website on Tuesday, highlighting some of those changes and challenges ahead. “We now have half of the school year behind us and much work to do still in front of us,” he wrote. “Our staff is hard at work preparing for the many changes that are coming our way with the transition to the Common Core standards adopted by 45 states.” He said the schools must get ready to implement the rigorous, in-depth curriculum by …

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3.9-Mill Levy Takes Another Step Toward the Ballot

Lakewood School Board votes to send a 3.9-mill operating levy to the Cuyahoga County Auditor’s Office Jan. 27 deadline for the May 7 election.

The Lakewood Board of Education took its first official step toward placing a 3.9-mill operating levy before voters in May. It wasn’t much of a surprise to board members, who’ve known for a while about the district’s financial woes, stemming from cuts in state funding and dwindling property values.  The board agreed to pass a measure on first reading to file paperwork with the Cuyahoga County Auditor’s Office by its Jan. 27 deadline for the May 7 election. Superintendent Jeff Patterson recently told Lakewood Patch that the levy would cost owners of a $100,000 home $10 per month. “We’re very strategic about the 3.9 mills because we want to make sure we’re financial able to do things we want to do and keep the excellent programs we have now…

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School Safety Reforms Central to President Obama’s Gun Control Proposal

The Lakewood City Schools already have a number of the recommendations in place, but the district will continue to review its safety policy.

President Barack Obama presented a sweeping set of gun control recommendations on Wednesday, with many focused directly on increasing safety measures in schools. According to the Politics K-12 blog, the proposals signal a shift in federal priorities—the proposals ask for increases in school safety and mental health counseling funding, areas the administration has sought to cut in the budget in recent years. Check out the Politics K-12 post for a more in-depth look at the proposals, which includes creating model emergency response plans for institutions like schools and providing $50 million for training for professionals like social workers and counselors who plan to work with young adults. The full text of the plan can also be found on …

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McKinley Elementary School For Sale?

Lakewood School Board to hear a proposal that would sell the shuttered school building.

Superintendent Jeff Patterson is expected to propose to the Lakewood School Board that the district sell the shuttered McKinley Elementary School. Closed several years ago, the building costs the district about $40,000 to keep up — including utilities and general maintenance. Built in 1918, McKinley Elementary School sits on a 2.77-acre parcel in an area desirable to developers.  The property was assessed at $1.1 million in November.  Patterson said that even if the district wanted to reopen the building, it’d cost between $380,000 to 1.2 million — perhaps more than the property is worth. “We no longer need this property,” he added. “The cost of using this property is cost-prohibitive.” When/if the property is sold, the money made from the…

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