Temporary Fernway Replacement Should Be Picked By Aug. 1

SHAKER HEIGHTS, OH -- The community got its first real update on the situation at Fernway Elementary, post-fire, on Tuesday night at the Board of Education meeting. District leaders said they are considering three options for Fernway students next year and have a protocol that must be followed in repairing the damaged school building.

The three options for Fernway staff and students next year are: Empty buildings, modular classrooms, and temporary assignments of classrooms to other buildings in Shaker. Interim Superintendent Stephen Wilkins said his administration is working day and night to find a tenable solution. The goal is to announce a temporary location for the Fernway community by August 1, Wilkins said.

As for the Fernway building, assessment of the damage is still being carried out, particularly after hard rains wreaked more havoc on the building in recent days. District officials said they need to stabilize the building and then complete their assessment, which will take time.

As part of this process, crews will need to repair rain damage, dispose of debris, account for the contents of the building, add a temporary roof and restore the utilities.

Then the focus will shift to getting Fernway up and running again and getting staff back to work.

Slides from Wilkins' presentation can be found by clicking here

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