Clean-Up Begins At Fernway Elementary, Updates Slow

SHAKER HEIGHTS, OH — Shaker Heights students will start school on August 22 and they will be taught by Fernway Elementary School teachers. That's the promise the Shaker Heights School District made to community members while clean-up at the school begins.

On Tuesday morning, a fire broke out on the roof of Fernway. The blaze caused significant damage to the school and the district is still assessing how it will move forward with the elementary.

In the meanwhile, the district has offered counseling to students confused by the damage at their school, and are promising the community that Fernway's teachers will teach Fernway's students. It's just not clear where that education may take place.

The district said in a posted message that administration leaders are considering a variety of contingency plans for the coming school year, which is less than two months from starting. Daily updates on the district's decisions, and progress at Fernway, will be provided by district leaders.

The district also promised to hold a public meeting to update residents on what's happening at Fernway. Details on that meeting have not yet been released.

"We are grateful for the strength of the entire City of Shaker Heights and especially the Fernway community. Your support, patience and understanding as we all progress through this process of re-opening Fernway School will be critical in the days, weeks and months ahead," the district said in a posted message to the community.

To that end, all of the Fernway Elementary grounds, including the parking lot and playground areas, will be closed for the forseable future.

(For more news like this, find your local Patch here. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here. And like Patch on Facebook!)

Photo from Google Earth