FAQ’s on Facilities

Q: How is the State of Ohio involved in the plan?

Q: Does the plan reflect local needs?

Q: How were decisions made about which buildings to rebuild and which to renovate?

Q: Why are some newer school buildings recommended for replacement while older buildings are proposed to be renovated?
 

Q: Why do any schools have to be closed?

Q: How were implementation priorities set for the plan?

Q: Is there a way to comment on the plan?

A: The plan is a set of recommendations representing a rare opportunity to upgrade outdated, deteriorating facilities in Cleveland Metropolitan Schools. For students, the plan means first-class buildings that meet high state standards, have access to the latest technology and are designed to support the district’s educational model.
 

A: The state’s involvement ensures that new or renovated schools built under Cleveland’s plan meet the same standards as others built in the state. Once the plan is approved by the Cleveland Board of Education and the Ohio School Facilities Commission, the state will provide 23 percent of the total cost of the plan, which is estimated at about $ million.
 

A: Yes. The plan was developed in partnership by the state and a CMSD team that included district facilities experts, architects and construction managers. The CMSD team met with every school community to get input. In some cases, state rules and standards were modified to take into account local concerns, such as a building’s historical value.
 

A: First, conditions of all buildings were assessed in detail by the Ohio School Facilities Commission (OSFC), the agency directing a state-wide effort to upgrade all Ohio school buildings. If the assessment showed the cost to renovate a building — keeping it the same size and basic design — was more than two-thirds of the cost to replace it with a new building, the OSFC generally recommended replacing it with new construction. In certain compelling cases — such as buildings of significant historical value — the state can agree that this rule would be waived.
 

A: Ironically, some 40- to 60-year-old buildings are more costly to renovate than older ones. Part of the reason is that older buildings were built to last for longer periods. These 1950s and 1960s buildings are engineered in a way that makes it impossible to have sufficient ceiling space to accommodate necessary ductwork for new air-conditioning systems, electricity and sprinkler piping.
 

A: District enrollment has been declining and is projected to continue to decrease by 10 percent over the next ten years. Cleveland Metropolitan Schools and the Ohio School Facilities Commission have a responsibility to taxpayers to size the plan to meet enrollment needs. But because the construction will occur in phases, the plan can be revised if enrollment trends change.
 

A: The two main factors were a building’s condition and the crowded conditions in many current facilities. Another consideration was minimizing disruption to students during the construction process.

A: Absolutely! Community meetings on the plan will be held.