The Mentor Public Schools District announced the closure of two schools that will go into effect for the 2018-2019 school year on Tuesday.
The district said the plan was created to save taxpayers money as enrollment numbers continue to drop across the board.
Mentor Schools will operate out of two middle schools since Ridge will go from operating as a middle school to an elementary school, according to the school's website. All of Mentor's middle school students will be assigned to either Shore or Memorial
In a letter addressed to parents and staff, Interim Superintendent Bill Porter said attendance zone boundaries will change which may cause some students to switch buildings based on new maps.
Porter said it's the district's goal to place staff members into other buildings as openings and retirements come up.
The plan to close Brentmoor and Garfield elementary schools will rezone parts of Hopkins and Fairfax. In a letter posted on the school's website, Porter said the plan will look like this:
- Students currently in the Brentmoor zone will attend the new elementary school at Ridge.
- The Garfield zone will be redrawn to attend Fairfax, Hopkins, and the new elementary school at Ridge.
- A large portion of the Hopkins boundaries will be rezoned for the new elementary school at Ridge, which will alleviate overcrowding at Hopkins and create lines that are more geographically fitting.
- A portion of Fairfax will move into the Orchard Hollow zone and Fairfax will get a new, earlier start time.
- The new elementary school at Ridge will have a start-time around 9:00 a.m. and will be finalized later.
- The preschool will stay at Ridge.
- Students from the new elementary school at Ridge will attend Memorial after 5th grade. (As mentioned above, Bellflower students will go to Shore.)
- Information regarding special education services will come directly to parents and guardians from the Student Services department.
The district is holding several meetings for parents and students at the Paradigm Center. Find the times here.
