9/24/2011 12:00:00 PMCMSD's Newton D. Baker of the Arts renovation in Cleveland continues
September 24, 2011
By Ken Prendergast, Sun News
Although students have returned to class, significant renovations continue at Newton D. Baker School of the Arts.
Most of the $1.3 million in renovations to the 69-year-old school in the West Park neighborhood began the day after classes ended last spring and were completed before students returned Aug. 24.
However, renovation work continues on the art room, requiring students to use a temporary space for art classes. And a new playground is also planned, after it was approved by the school board earlier this month.
Funding for the renovations came from the federal Qualified Zone Academy Bond Program, administered by the Ohio Department of Education. It allows school districts to borrow funds interest-free for education purposes, except for new construction.
To qualify for funding, the funds must be used for a school located in an Enterprise Community or an Empowerment Zone, or with 35 percent of their students eligible for free or reduced-cost lunches under the National School Lunch Act. In addition, a qualified school must have a partnership with a business that contributes at least 10 percent of the amount borrowed, according to the program’s guidelines.
Local companies contributing to the renovations include Eaton Corp., a global manufacturer headquartered in Cleveland, and Red Seal Electric Co., 3855 W. 150th St.
Cleveland first applied for Qualified Zone Academy Bond Program funds a decade ago, seeking $10 million for its two arts schools — Baker and the Cleveland School of the Arts. Baker, an elementary school with pre-kindergarten through eighth-grade classes, is a feeder school for the magnet arts high school.
Baker Principal Juliane Fouse-Shepard said the improvements and updates to the school were extensive. They included new floor tiles, carpeting, paint, windows, ceilings, bathrooms, electrical systems, lighting, heating and cooling systems, clocks, perimeter fence and even a new greenhouse, she said.
Some of the most noticeable improvements were made to the parking area, athletic field and auditorium. The parking lot was resurfaced and re-striped. The baseball diamond received a new pitcher’s mound and backstop. The auditorium got a new sound system, lighting, stage floor, and the 50-year-old drapes were finally replaced.
“It’s a real showpiece now,” said Christine Campion, who has taught at Baker for 18 years. “We always kept our school clean and in good shape, but many of the things got worn out with age. Kids and parents are embracing the improvements. Some of the parents had goosebumps and tears.”
Shepard said Baker earned Blue Ribbon status from the U.S. Department of Education for improving student achievement to high levels, especially among disadvantaged students. The state also has recently ranked Baker as an “excellent” or “effective” school in recent years, but it slipped to “continuous improvement” in the state’s last report card due to a drop in special education test scores.
Newton D. Baker was mayor of Cleveland from 1912-15, a pacifist who served as Secretary of War from 1916-21, and was a founding partner of the locally based law firm Baker Hostetler. Full story