Transforming East Cleveland City Schools: See What the District Is Doing to Shape Its Future

Major alterations are headed your way. East Cleveland City Schools After receiving extensive feedback from the community over several months, the East Cleveland School Board has collectively endorsed an ambitious facility improvement plan designed to reshape the district’s future.

On March 26, the Board unanimously voted 5-0 in support of Scenario 5 from the Facility Master Plan, a strategic blueprint that will consolidate and reconfigure school buildings district-wide over the next three years. The plan will address long-term challenges tied to declining enrollment, aging infrastructure and financial constraints.

This is all about shaping a better tomorrow," stated East Cleveland City Schools Superintendent and CEO Dr. Henry Pettiegrew. "I'm concentrating on long-term impacts. Whatever issues might have arisen in the past three or four decades—the aim today is to address these problems, fix them, and progress onward. Exciting developments are underway in East Cleveland. My hope is for the entire community—and anyone observing—to stay attentive.

Major Adjustments In Scenario 5

The Prospect Early Childhood Academy will cater to students in Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten.
Caledonia Elementary School will accommodate grades 1 through 4.
Kirk Middle School will host grades 5 through 8 as well as the moved Superior School for the Performing Arts.
Shaw High School will continue to serve students in grades 9 through 12.
Mayfair Elementary is set to close by the summer of 2026.
The Board Office will relocate to the Chambers Community Center.
The rollout will progressively take place between 2025 and 2028.

This plan addresses significant changes in population demographics.

Pettiegrew pointed out that more than 58% of the population in East Cleveland has moved away over the past three decades.

Initially catering to more than 7,000 students, forecasts indicate that the district might decrease to merely 850 pupils by the year 2033.

Kirk was designed to accommodate a thousand students. Currently, we have around 200, which means there’s plenty of space for additional students," explained Pettiegrew. "This will essentially function as a school within a larger institution.

Financial and Academic Impact

The shutting down of Mayfair and moving operations from Superior -- both structures requiring immediate maintenance -- should result in an annual savings of up to $6 million for the district.

“What happens is, the buildings we have are in desperate need of repairs,” Pettiegrew explained. “I'm replacing boilers, chillers, hot water systems, so when we close those two buildings, which need the most repairs, we'll see savings every year.”

Given constrained financial choices, being fiscally responsible is essential.

We cannot approach the community for additional funding through a levy,” explained Pettiegrew. “The tax rate needed would be extremely high, making it unviable for a vote. Therefore, we must manage the funds currently at our disposal responsibly.

However, these modifications are not just aimed at balancing the budget; their primary purpose is to enhance student performance.

"We ranked second in the state for performance index growth last year. For the past two years, we have consistently placed within the top 10. We are making significant progress — and by June 2025, we will escape academic distress," stated Pettiegrew.

As the district gets ready to put the plan into action, Pettiegrew highlighted the larger objective: "This goes beyond reducing expenses; it's all about elevating our standards."