Lakewood City Schools Superintendent Maggie Niedzwiecki made her recommendation regarding the consolidation of Lakewood's seven elementary schools.
During Monday's Board of Education meeting, Niedzwiecki recommended repurposing Lincoln Elementary into an early learning center, a proposal that has divided the district and community for over a year.
RELATED: Lakewood school consolidation decision still pending; parents demand clarity
“Repurposing Lincoln minimizes the impact on students compared to other scenarios,” Niedzwiecki said in a statement. “It will result in fewer students needing to change schools or cross major roads, while also positioning us for projected population growth near the center of the city.”
Additionally, she recommended the following changes to the district's elementary schools:
- Moving the CHAMPS program from the basement of Horace Mann Elementary to the first floor of Hayes Elementary.
- Relocating the RISE classroom from Emerson Elementary into the former CHAMPS space at Horace Mann.
- Expanding or rebuilding the playgrounds at Emerson and Horace Mann, and expanding the playground at Hayes.
- Moving the self-contained gifted program from Grant Elementary to Hayes Elementary.
“I know this news may be difficult for some in our community. These decisions were not made lightly—they reflect a balance between fiscal responsibility, enrollment trends, and our shared commitment to maintaining thriving learning environments,” Niedzwiecki said in a statement.
The proposed repurposing of Lincoln Elementary would not take place until 2027, and all elementary boundaries will be redrawn for the 2027–2028 school year. The district said the possible early learning center the school would turn into would include before-school, after-school and summer child care.
Ideas surrounding the consolidation were sparked after the district saw a decrease in enrollment. Since 2003, the district has seen a decrease of 2,400 students.
RELATED: Low enrollment could lead to fewer elementary schools in Lakewood
The superintendent's recommendation will be voted on at the board's Oct. 20 meeting.
“Change is never easy, but Lakewood has faced transitions before and emerged stronger,” Niedzwiecki said in a statement. “Together, I’m confident we’ll do the same in the years ahead.”
Preserve Lakewood Schools issued the following statement about Lincoln Elementary School:
We are deeply concerned about the superintendent’s recommendation, as well as the process that led us to this point. Lakewood’s school board could have spent the last year and a half leading a community process that began with meaningful engagement with not just parents of current students, but with the broader community. Furthermore, the recommendation isn’t supported by the school district’s own data.
Instead, the school district leadership is clearly forcing a predetermined decision on the community which has decisively supported the schools for decades – and blatantly ignoring Ohio Sunshine Laws along the way.
Lakewood’s school board is on the cusp of making a massive decision without a long-term strategic plan – something state law requires. The superintendent’s recommendation is a reactionary move, not part of a thoughtful vision for Lakewood’s future that the community can buy into.
Lakewood residents – and current and future Lakewood students – deserve better from our superintendent and our school board.
