Ashtabula's Lakeside High School students are grappling with a dramatic shift in their educational setting—transplanted from their familiar campus to assorted venues across town after a dramatic roof collapse under heavy snowfall made their school building structurally unsound. According to WKYC, the mishap befell the high school structure shortly after Thanksgiving, necessitating relocation efforts to various education spaces.
The move signifies irony for senior students like Liam Beatty, who find themselves coming full circle, "ending where I started," Beatty told WKYC. In the fray since Thanksgiving, district officials ensured that the 850 students would not miss a beat, transitioning them to online learning while developing a longer-term plan that has since involved dividing them among four other school buildings.
The makeshift high school for grades 10-12 housed in the former Huron Primary School has undergone aesthetic changes to invite a sense of normalcy, receiving a fresh coat of paint in the school's colors to evoke the home campus atmosphere. "As of right now, the construction company is on site, and they have the building fenced off," Principal Douglas Wetherhold explained in a statement obtained by WKYC.
The displaced students, however, face tangible limitations due to the temporary arrangements. Certain courses, like woodshop and cooking, were canceled at this new location, which lacks the necessary facilities. "All my classes are the same," senior Savana Shipman said in a 19 News interview, "But some students did have classes taken out — like woodshop, that they can no longer do, or cooking, because there’s not access to those things." In the meantime, district officials maintain a hopeful outlook. "We've come a long way within just a month," Principal Wetherhold, depicted by Cleveland 19 News, reflected on the progress.
Beyond the classroom, sports and extracurricular activities have been impacted, with most "home" games now being played at opponents' facilities. Superintendent Lisa Newsome explained to News 5 Cleveland that insurance still assesses the high school's damages. Restoration efforts have a hefty price tag attached, expected to hover around $25 million. This building, 17 years old, infamously underwent a lawsuit over poor workmanship shortly after its construction, a historical tidbit Newsome detailed. A return to parts of the original Lakeside High School building is anticipated as early as next fall, with the district aiming for a comprehensive reoccupation by January 2026.
