District News

W-E Schools has received the Ohio Auditor of State Award for the fourth time! Congratulations to District Treasurer/CFO, Nick Ciarniello! The award was officially presented at the July Board meeting.

Only awarded to 4% of school districts, this award recognizes the district for its excellent oversight of district resources, accuracy, transparency and accountability.

Congratulations to the treasurer and the superintendent as well as all of the staff and administrators who oversee budgeting, purchasing, grants and financial reporting. Your diligence and fiscal stewardship make a difference and is recognized and appreciated!

 

Returning or new to W-E Schools? We will have NEW school start and end times for the 2026-2027 school year.

Elementary Schools: 8:15 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Car riders and walkers may be dropped off at 8:00 a.m.

Middle Schools, High Schools, and the School of Innovation: 7:40 a.m. to 2:25 p.m.
Car riders and walkers may be dropped off at 7:00 a.m.

School offices are closed until August 3rd. At that time principals will share all of the information families need to know about the opening of school.

Enrollment is open! Visit the Enrollment page on the website, www.weschools.org.

 

The Willoughby-Eastlake City Schools’ Board of Education voted to place a 0.75% earned income tax issue on the November 2026 ballot for voter consideration.

The Board’s decision follows a year of public work sessions addressing a structural budget deficit driven by recent changes in state legislation, inflation, and rising operational costs. This marks the first time in six years the District has asked voters for new operating revenue.

If approved, the tax is projected to generate approximately $14 million annually. Of that, $9.6 million will sustain day-to-day operations, including staffing, academic programming, and transportation, while $4.4 million will be legally dedicated to permanent improvements such as facilities maintenance, technology, security upgrades, and bus and other vehicle replacements.

Unlike a traditional property tax, an earned income tax applies only to active wages and salaries. It does not apply to pensions, Social Security benefits, investments, or capital gains.

“Our goal has been complete transparency as we face these financial challenges,” said Superintendent Dr. Patrick Ward. “This proposal allows us to maintain the high-quality education our families expect while protecting our senior citizens and retirees on fixed incomes. Without a new source of revenue, we will be forced to make historic structural changes to how our district operates.” 

If the issue fails, the Board has outlined a contingency plan for the 2027-2028 school year to bridge the deficit, including:

• High School Consolidation: Combining Eastlake North and Willoughby South into a single high school on the current Willoughby South/Willoughby Middle campus.
• Middle School Restructuring: Converting the Eastlake North building into a single district-wide middle school (grades 6-8), repurposing Willowick Middle School, and closing Eastlake Middle School.
• Elementary Closures: Closing Thomas Jefferson Elementary and reassigning students to remaining elementary buildings.
• Staff Reductions: Cutting personnel to align with the smaller physical footprint.

The District will host a series of community meetings in the coming months to share factual information, present financial data, and answer resident questions.

Congratulations to Eastlake North High School's Clare Davey who led the 2026 Excel TECC Team at the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference. As a senior in the CADD Engineering Program, she also served as Team Captain and National Leadership Conference Delegate.

The Excel TECC team had two competition teams, also hailing from the CADD Engineering Technology program, directed by Instructor Craig Schmidt. It made for a powerful and supportive environment that tested the skills, leadership and workforce readiness that comprises the framework of the program.

 

We are excited to welcome Aria Lipscomb to the Willoughby-Eastlake City Schools family as the Communications Coordinator! Aria will be responsible for all strategic marketing and communications in the district. With more than seven years of experience in journalism and communications, she has a strong background in storytelling, crisis communication, media relations, public engagement and multimedia content creation.

Aria most recently served as a content producer and journalist with WOIO Channel 19 News. She was also an anchor and morning manager at WTOC in Savannah, and has experience developing fundraising and public awareness campaigns for non-profit organizations. Her technical skills combined with her outgoing personality and commitment to effective communication will be an asset to the district.

Aria is taking on the role following the retirement announcement of current Director of Communications and Community Engagement, Gina Kevern. We thank Gina for her service to public education for 33 years and wish her the best in retirement!