Cuyahoga Falls board asks staff to explore repurposing Shanae as district studies elementary consolidations

Cuyahoga Falls City School District officials on June 25 asked staff to continue studying options for consolidating elementary schools and to explore repurposing the Shanae Learning Center instead of closing one of the district’s six neighborhood elementary schools.

Superintendent Dr. Celico presented data showing long-term enrollment declines, facility capacity, transportation impacts and estimated operational savings as the board discussed next steps. Board members agreed to prioritize the topic at the July 9 meeting so staff can return with boundary and transportation analyses.

The presentation compiled multiple factors the board’s policy suggests for school-closing decisions, including building age and condition, square footage and “big-ticket” system needs such as boilers, roofs, playgrounds and air conditioning. Dr. Celico noted the district has Office of Facilities Construction Commission (OFCC) facility studies available for each building and emphasized that the presentation focused on empirical data while acknowledging the emotional and community impacts of any closing. “No one ever wants to arrive at this,” Dr. Celico said when describing the difficulty…