Superintendent recommends repurposing Lincoln Elementary as district Early Learning Center; board schedules final vote Oct. 20

Superintendent Nzwicki recommended on Oct. 6 that Lakewood City Schools repurpose Lincoln Elementary as the district's Early Learning Center and realign several specialized elementary programs and boundaries, with any operational changes delayed until the 2027–28 school year. The board held a first reading of a resolution formalizing the recommendation and set final consideration for the Oct. 20 meeting.

The recommendation is intended to respond to a multi‑year enrollment decline and underutilized classroom space, Nzwicki said. She told the board the district has seen steady declines since 2015: district K–5 enrollment fell from 2,286 in 2015–16 to 1,792 as of the most recent count, a drop of 494 students. The district-wide utilization of the seven elementary buildings is roughly 66% of capacity; Nzwicki said repurposing one building would raise the average utilization to about 69.3%.

Nzwicki described a package of program moves intended to keep specialized instruction accessible and reduce physical barriers for students with mobility needs: move CHAMPS classrooms from Horace Mann to the first floor of Hayes Elementary; relocate the RISE special‑education classrooms from Emerson to Horace Mann; move gifted self‑contained classrooms from Grant Elementary to Hayes; keep STARS at Emerson; and consolidate district teaching materials into central office. She also proposed rebuilding and upgrading playgrounds at Horace Mann and Emerson and modifying Hayes playgrounds to meet ADA standards.

The superintendent said the district will partner with the city to…