Cleveland City Schools lays out Denning Center family resource hub plan, aims for full launch by August

Cleveland City Schools provided a detailed update on plans to convert the Denning Center into a Family Resource Center that will house a community “market,” parent education courses, English-language instruction and volunteer and internship opportunities, district staff said. Construction work inside the Denning Center’s market space is underway, and administrators said they expect soft public openings in late March or early April with regular operations targeted for August.

The Family Resource Center is intended to connect families to basic needs and services the district identified through a recent needs assessment. Autumn O’Brien, a Cleveland City Schools staff member who led the presentation, said the district’s top three needs identified by stakeholders are English-language learners, homelessness and chronic absenteeism. "The family resource center will aim to support families in Cleveland City Schools through an interconnected and consistent approach that responds to the health and well-being of students and families," O’Brien said.

Why it matters: district staff said the resource center is meant to address barriers that affect student success by providing on-site and partnered services — from food and clothing to job training and mental-health referrals — and to create a single place where schools, families and community agencies can coordinate supports.

Key features and timeline - Market and distribution: The Denning Center market will store and distribute donated clothing, hygiene items, school supplies and food. The market will also serve as a distribution hub to restock school-based pantries. District staff said four schools are in the initial plan to receive on-site pantries, with the Denning Center acting as a storage and restocking facility. O’Brien described the market as both a public-facing drop-in resource and a logistical center to resupply schools. - Construction and space: O’Brien said crews have removed interior walls and revealed 15-foot ceilings in a former racquetball-court area. She described the space as “gutted” and suitable for the market and partner offices. - Mobile donation unit: The district plans to acquire a mobile donation vehicle to pick up or distribute goods at community sites and to serve as a visible collection point for drives. - Parent education and English-language learning: The district is pursuing partnerships (including Lee University) to offer English classes and parent education courses such as job training, resume workshops and family-wellness classes. O’Brien noted Lee University presently runs evening ELL classes with more than 200 participating families and said the district is exploring daytime options and shorter session models for parents. - Health and mental‑health partnerships: Staff reported interest from behavioral-health providers and the local health department in colocating services, offering telehealth/pop‑up clinics or providing priority scheduling for district families. - Volunteer hub and student service learning: The district intends to create a volunteer hub and work‑based learning opportunities so students can engage in service internships tied to CTE and capstone work.

Operations, donations and staffing O’Brien said the market’s soft opening is planned once construction finishes (construction was described as anticipated to be complete in early March), with several public trial openings before the end of the school year. The district will run donation drives; the first month‑long drive will collect youth clothing (newborn to size 14). Drop shipments to the Denning Center are acceptable for now but staff asked donors to coordinate deliveries because the resource center currently operates with a small staff.

Partnership approach and governance The district plans to assemble an advisory board to guide programming and partnership decisions and expects to use surveys (planned for March) to confirm ongoing needs. O’Brien said many partner organizations toured the site and signaled interest; state resource directors told district staff this family resource center may be one of the larger centers in the state.

Questions and limits of authority Board members pressed on implementation details, timelines and whether the district would accept direct shipments; O’Brien said donations may be dropped at the Denning Center but requested coordination. Board members also recommended focused donation drives (for example, collecting specific adult clothing types in later drives) to avoid overwhelming the storage system.

Ending: next steps District staff said they will finalize partnerships, hold trial runs this spring and return with additional operational details and an advisory-board structure before the center’s full launch in August. No formal board action was required or taken during the presentation.