ICYMI: School Starts in Lakewood and a Look Back at Roosevelt

The new school year started yesterday in Lakewood with some very excited kids and parents. Many students skipped their way to their brand new school buildings courtesy of the Facilities Master Plan. New building structures, freshly painted walls, brand-new playground equipment and grand landscape can be seen at Grant, Lincoln and Roosevelt Elementary schools. These schools are the last of the rebuilding elementary schools in Lakewood.

• See photo gallery at the bottom of this article
  

The third and final phase also includes the eastern section of the High School which is expected to be completed by 2017. The Facilities Master Plan was adopted by the Board of Education in 2003. The community passed three separate bond issues with the final $100 million phase costs are shared equally by the District and the State of Ohio through the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission.

Grant, Lincoln and Roosevelt schools all bring a unique piece of history to the community. All three building were built before 1925, all went through expansion early on and all three building experienced large enrollment.

In 1904, the Old Central School became Grant Elementary; in 1906 the school was expanded to include a nine room addition and expanded again in 1912 with the addition of another two rooms. By the 1960’s Grant was busting at the seams. The community passed a $10.9 million bond issue to allow for the expansion of Grant. When the doors opened in September, 1969, 541 students stepped into a modern, state-of-art school building. For over 100 years, Grant Elementary has enriched the lives of many students.

Much like Grant, Lincoln Elementary started out as a small eleven room building built in 1906. Lincoln expanded in 1916 and again in 1920 making the school a total of twenty-nine rooms to serve educators and students. In 1929, Lincoln peaked with the highest student enrollment of 727-students. This is a reflection of Lakewood’s population of 70,000 residents. Lincoln celebrated its centennial birthday in October, 2013.

Last of the final phase elementary schools, Roosevelt was built in 1922 and expanded several times to accommodate the large population of kindergarten through sixth grade. Roosevelt was named after the request of the citizens in the neighborhood, paying homage to President Theodore Roosevelt. The building consisted of twenty-four classrooms, seven multi-purpose rooms that included a gym and cafeteria. When the building first opened, over 800 students graced the hallways. The building represented the community with the popular and colorful handprints on the walls.

Welcome back Lakewood students to a new year filled with fun and excitement. Good luck to each student and especially the first generation of Grant, Lincoln, and Roosevelt new school buildings!