Board answers building questions, recognizes academic scholars

by Laura Bednar

Oct. 17 board of education meeting

During the open forum portion of the Nordonia Hills Board of Education meeting, Superintendent Dr. Joe Clark responded to questions about previous land decisions and future building plans if the Nov. 8 bond levy were to pass.

Community member Diane Bretz asked if the district had any interest in purchasing the hotel property near the high school. Clark responded that the district did not have interest in the purchase.

The district did purchase 5 acres at the corner of South Bedford and Highland roads behind the high school as well as the land between the 5 acres and the Cuyahoga Valley Career Center’s parking lot, according to the board meeting agenda from February 2022.

Clark told Bretz that land would be used in building a new middle school if the bond passes, but if the community votes down the levy, it would be “used in other ways, like a parking lot.”

Bretz also asked Clark to verify a rumor that if new schools were built, they would be named after community members or school board members and categorized as “learning centers.” Clark said that was false and the names of the new schools would remain as Nordonia Middle and Nordonia High School. For the elementary school, Clark said, “There will probably be some community discussion because it would be on the Lee Eaton property but we’d also be closing three elementary schools.”

Award recognition

The board recognized Nordonia High School seniors Jackson Malloy, Evan Kvach and Avery St. George for being named National Merit Program Commended Scholars. The seniors scored in the top 50,000 students out of 2.5 million who took the PSAT test this year. Their scores were in the top 17% of the nation’s students, according to NHS Principal Louise Teringo. Each of them was given an academic letter of excellence. Board president Liz McKinley said both Nordonia middle and high schools were awarded the Ohio Department of Education’s Purple Star Award at the Ohio School Board Association’s Northeast Region awards dinner. The award read, “They [the schools] have shown great commitment in supporting students and families of our nation’s armed forces.”