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Friends of Lakewood Schools
Friends of Lakewood Schools
Friends of Lakewood Schools is an Ohio nonprofit organization dedicated to the long-term success of the Lakewood City School District.
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We represent all stakeholders within the Lakewood community, including students, faculty, parents, residents, local business owners and taxpayers, who believe that Lakewood Schools can become a national leader and a model for outstanding public education.
We promote and advocate for strategic planning, good governance, community engagement, and transparency within the Lakewood Schools and by the Lakewood Board of Education.
Join our mission to support Lakewood City Schools. Together, we create a thriving educational environment for our children and advocate for their futures in our community.
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Our Commitment to Education
Friends of Lakewood Schools is dedicated to advocating for the Lakewood City School District. Our nonprofit was established to fortify educational excellence, transparency, and community involvement for our schools.
Friends of Lakewood Schools filed an injunction to halt and overturn the unlawful and irresponsible actions taken by the Lakewood City School District’s Board of Education on October 20, 2025, to close Lincoln Elementary School and remove Pre-K programs from each neighborhood elementary school to a single location.
The Lakewood City School District Board of Education has agreed to reopen deliberation and conduct a new public vote on a restructuring plan affecting all seven of the district's elementary schools, settling a lawsuit brought by Friends of Lakewood Schools (FLS) related to the board’s violations of Ohio's Open Meetings Act.
Under the settlement, the board will revisit its October 2025 vote - which included ending the neighborhood preschool program, redrawing all elementary school attendance boundaries, relocating special education program locations, and repurposing Lincoln Elementary into an early childhood center - and conduct a new, fully public process.
Now, nearly a year since the decision, with an approved levy and opportunity to develop a comprehensive plan, the sequence of the settlement is intended to ensure meaningful public participation and board deliberation on these specific elements to reach the right decision.
Settlement details include:
● Before the new process begins, the settlement requires all board members and the superintendent to complete three hours of training on Ohio's Open Meetings Act.
● The board must hold at least two public meetings on school repurposing (August 10 & August 24) and conduct an entirely new vote on any plans developed as a result of those meetings (September 8).
● The board cannot vote on any new plans before September 4, 2026, which gives the community at least the month of August to participate in the board’s new process.
● FLS is disclaiming all right to attorney fees and fines that it would be entitled to under Ohio’s Open Meetings Act.
Help us ask questions & give feedback to the school board
The Lakewood School Board has reopened the proposal to close an elementary school and is taking questions from the community. Many questions and feedback went unanswered and ignored in the previous process
FLS is taking questions and feedback to submit to the school board. This will help to ensure that the community has all of its questions answered before the board makes its final decision. The Board has a second chance to do this process transparently and with the community as a partner
Upcoming Meetings on the school repurposing
Monday, August 10, at 7:00 p.m.
Board of Education Meeting
Taft Center for Innovation
13701 Lake Avenue, Rooms 109/110
“District administration will present updated information regarding District facilities, building capacity, enrollment trends, and future planning considerations.”
Monday, August 24, at 7:00 p.m.
Board of Education Meeting
Taft Center for Innovation
13701 Lake Avenue, Rooms 109/110
“District administration will present an updated Early Learning Center proposal and related information for the Board’s consideration.”
Tuesday, September 8, at 7:00 p.m.
Special Board of Education Meeting
Location to be announced
“The Superintendent will present final recommendations, after which the Board will discuss and vote on the proposed recommendations.”