It was a bright sunny day on Saturday, August 28, when the ribbon was cut opening the new North Royalton Elementary School building.
The new structure is located at 16400 State Road adjacent to the Cleveland Metroparks Valley Parkway.
If you haven’t seen the building, its design is similar to that of the capital letter “E”. There are two playgrounds/courtyards located in the open part of the “E” facing the Metropark.
The east wing houses pre-school and kindergarten students, the middle wing is for first and second graders and the west wing is for third and fourth graders.
As you would imagine, there are plenty of security features in the new building. First, outsiders can’t just walk into the new 148,000 square foot building. Visitors walk into a vestibule where they can be buzzed in. To the left of the entrance is a reception area and administrative offices. There are plenty of security cameras located throughout the building and remote controlled doors that lock.
North Royalton School Superintendent Michael Laub said the new building is reflective of the support that education has in the community. “One of the reasons I came to North Royalton is because I knew of the community support and that feeling of home. And this is proof that the community values education, wants what’s best for kids and trusts us to get it done.”
The task of cutting the ribbon to open the new building was given to North Royalton School Board President Heidi Dolezal and retired School Superintendent Greg Gurka.
Dolezal thanked the community and the cities of North Royalton and Broadview Heights for passing the nearly $90 million bond issue in May 2017 that helped to pay for the building.
“A big thank you goes out to the voters of the School District who made the project a reality. Our goal, as a school board has always been what is best for the students of North Royalton Schools,” said Dolezal.
Gurka said it’s hard to believe that nearly two years ago, on August 30, 2019, the district broke ground for the new elementary building.
“We worked hard in talking to residents to get their input into the vision on what this new school should look like. We talked to our educators and parents to get their input. We kept our feet on the ground when looking at various plans and options. Yet, we kept reaching for the stars because we knew that good enough was not good enough.”
With that, the ribbon was cut and the building was opened. Those in attendance were invited to come inside and walk the hallways, see the classrooms and think about how education has changed since they were in school.
Once inside, you walk into a two-story lobby that features a video monitor, a gathering area and a huge hand-carved bear.
Kirk Pavelich will be the lead principal at the new North Royalton Elementary Building.
“I cannot wait for the chance to work with such a wonderful group of people at this building, as we are beyond fortunate to combine the experience and expertise of the staff members from Albion, Royal View and Valley Vista Elementary Schools.”
The new building will also help the City of North Royalton attract new businesses and families to the area.
“We’re always looking to improve the city, and the schools are a big part of that. Anytime we’re looking to redevelop or economic development in the city, one of the aspects businesses look at is the school system. This improvement at the Elementary School and what they did at the High School and Middle School solidifies our economic presentation moving forward,” said North Royalton Mayor Larry Antoskiewicz.
By JOE JASTRZEMSKI
Contributing Writer
