Mentor Schools weigh closing three elementary schools, moving eighth graders to high school amid budget crunch

Families at Mentor's seven elementary schools are heading into the Aug. 27 school board meeting without knowing whether their building could be among three slated for closure — or whether eighth graders could soon begin attending Mentor High School.

Mentor Schools will present detailed consolidation and grade-reconfiguration scenarios alongside an updated financial forecast at a special board meeting at 6 p.m. Aug. 27 at the Fine Arts Center, 6477 Center Street. The plan under study could close up to three elementary schools and move eighth-grade students to Mentor High School.

No specific elementary schools have been selected for closure, and district officials say no final consolidation decisions have been made. The district currently operates Bellflower, Fairfax, Hopkins, Lake, Orchard Hollow, Ridge and Sterling Morton elementary schools; the proposal would reduce that number from seven to four.

The potential closures would have consequences across Mentor, which covers 27.80 square miles and has the largest land area of any city in Lake County. Superintendent Craig Heath said the district has shared information early so families hear it directly rather than through rumors or incomplete information.

The consolidation discussion follows voters' rejection of a 4.9-mill operating levy in May 2026 by approximately 54% to 46%, with 53.98% voting against it and 46.02% in favor. The levy would have generated about $13.5 million annually for general operating costs.

After the levy failed, Mentor Schools implemented approximately $6.6 million in cuts for the 2026-27 school year, including staffing reductions and higher fees. The district cut two administrative positions, 30 certified positions, six classified positions and one exempt position.

Preschool tuition rose to $200 per month, the sixth-grade camp fee increased to $250, and the district added a $9.50 paper consumables fee per student. Pay-to-participate charges for athletics, marching band and Science Olympiad rose by 20%. The district also stopped providing funding for elementary field trips.

Another $3.3 million in cuts is planned for the 2027-28 school year, when any approved consolidation would take effect. Heath said keeping all seven elementary schools open is "just not feasible at this point in time."

Under the reconfiguration being studied, elementary schools would serve preschool through third grade. Memorial and Shore middle schools would serve grades four through seven, while Mentor High School would expand from grades nine through 12 to include eighth grade.

District leaders discussed multiple building-consolidation and grade-reconfiguration options at the Aug. 11 board meeting, focusing particularly on grades four, five and eight. Heath described the proposed grade configuration as the "cleanest" option but characterized specific consolidation details as "very premature."

Heath also emphasized concern for students' social and emotional well-being, the need to limit transitions and the difficulty of managing school start and dismissal times and transportation under any consolidation scenario. Administrators have indicated that transportation logistics could ultimately determine which configuration is selected, including whether schools could use staggered start and dismissal times and buses could run in multiple waves.

The district currently provides transportation beyond state minimums, serving students in grades K-8 who live more than one-half mile from school and students in grades nine through 12 who live more than 1.25 miles from Mentor High School. To reduce costs, it is considering consolidating bus stops and expanding walk zones to eliminate some routes. One potential budget scenario would end high school transportation, saving approximately $200,000 annually.

The financial outlook could also depend on another levy attempt. Mentor Schools has placed a smaller, 3.5-mill operating levy on the November 2026 ballot. If approved, the five-year levy would generate approximately $9.6 million annually and cost about $123 per year for each $100,000 of home value.

District leaders say defeat of the November levy could force an additional $14.4 million in cuts over the next two years, beyond those already planned. In a deeper-cut scenario modeled by Heath, the district could eliminate approximately six administrative roles, 68 certified positions and 33 classified positions, along with reducing school resource officers and mental-health counselors.

Administrators plan to present the detailed options at the Aug. 27 meeting, giving families their next indication of which elementary buildings may be at risk and how transportation, boundaries and grade assignments could change. Any final recommendations would follow further study of boundaries, transportation, staffing, student supports and community input.