City Council, School Board Meet Thursday To Discuss Bond Issue

The Cleveland Heights City Council will meet with the Cleveland Heights - University Heights School Board on Thursday night to discuss the school district's facilities plan.

The meeting is scheduled at 6 p.m. Thursday at City Hall. It is part of the school board's outreach effort to make sure elected officials in Cleveland Heights and University Heights are on board with its plans for a bond levy and its overall strategy to rehabilitate the district's aging school buildings. The board already met with the University Heights City Council.

Earlier this month, the Cleveland Heights - University Heights School Board unanimously approved a resolution Tuesday to send a $134.8 million bond issue to the voters in November. The final vote will be held July 2.

If the voters approve the bond issue in November, the proceeds would largely pay for the first phase of the district's facilities plan.

The facilities plan seeks to modernize the school district's aging buildings and bring its facilities in line with its student population. The total project is expected to cost more than $230 million and be broken into two phases that involves closing some schools and rehabilitating others.

The levy would raise the vast majority of the cost of the first phase, with the rest coming from private donations and loans.

Cleveland Heights High School and the middle schools would be rehabilitated in the first phase. The elementary schools would be handled in the second phase, which would cost an additional $80 million and occur at least five years down the road.

The Lay Facilities Committee's recommendation called for closing Noble and Fairfax elementary schools and Wiley Middle School.

Boulevard Elementary School would be rebuilt. The four remaining elementary schools, the two remaining middle schools and the high school would be renovated.

Click here to see the committee's report.