Strongsville Schools Will Reopen Monday

STRONGSVILLE, OH — Strongsville Schools will restart in-person education next week, the district formally announced.

"As we prepare for the return of students next week, I know that this change can cause feelings of excitement and/or anxiety," Superintendent Cameron Ryba said in an email to families. "There are some that absolutely agree with this decision and others that disagree. No matter where you stand on these decisions, we must all stand together and continue to work and communicate in a professional and productive manner."

Classes will begin Sept. 21. During the first week of in-class education, students will have a blended schedule. Each building should communicate its specific plan to parents this week.

If COVID-19 trends continue to hold steady or move down in Cuyahoga County, students in grades PreK-5 would begin attending school daily during the week of Sept. 28. A decision on students in grades 6-12 would follow and would be communicated to families no later than Sept. 21.

The district's decision to return to in-person education comes after Cuyahoga County was classified as "orange" for four weeks and saw a COVID-19 testing positivity rate below 5 percent for four weeks.

"Please be assured that we have and will continue to do all that we can to mitigate risks to keep our students and staff safe and healthy," Ryba said.

Ryba will hold an online community conversation at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday to discuss reopening. The livestream will be available through the district's website.

The Strongsville Schools have launched a COVID-19 dashboard that will be updated daily. The dashboard provides information on students being asked to isolate or quarantine at each school building.