Lorain Schools: No 'paired' school model for elementary buildings

LORAIN — Lorain Schools will not move its elementary buildings to a paired school model next year, officials announced. At a town hall Wednesday evening, Assistant Superintendent Ross May said officials heard staff and the community loud and clear: No paired elementary schools next year. During a Board of Education meeting Feb. 10, members heard two proposals for the district's elementary buildings. One would have split its buildings into four K to grade two and four grades three to five buildings paired by geography while the second would keep eight of its 10 neighborhood schools. On Wednesday, May said while the paired model would save an additional $1.2 million compared to neighborhood schools, community members were clear about what they wanted for the district. In talks with the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, May said state officials told the district its "bottom line number" to cut from next year's budget is $16.6 million — about $1.4 million less than the original $18 million it was told it had to cut. Superintendent Jeff Graham clarified that change does not mean the district is receiving more money from the state, only that the amount it has to maintain solvency was changed. That change gives the district some "wiggle room," May said, allowing it to better accommodate neighborhood schools. The neighborhood school proposal still includes the potential to repurpose Garfield and Washington elementary schools. It would move all preschool classes to Garfield Elementary and designate Washington Elementary as a building for children with autism. Under the proposal, preschool would shrink to half-day classes to cut costs. Graham said retaining all-day preschool may not make it for the state's required plan timeline, but he hoped to be able to accommodate it for next school year. All-day preschool costs the district about $2.6 million each year. Repurposing Washington Elementary as a building for students with autism would allow the district to serve students it normally transports to out-of-district facilities in Lorain, Cuyahoga and Huron counties, May said. Those services cost the district about $6.5 million each year. Graham and others fielded additional questions from community members throughout the evening, touching on reduction-in-force processes and impacts to student services and programs. The Board of Education will vote on a plan to submit to the state on Feb. 23. Contact Carissa Woytach at (440) 329-7245 or cwoytach@chroniclet.com.