April 18, 2024

Fairview Park residents interested in learning more about city and school initiatives are invited to attend the Fairview Park State of the Community event on Tuesday, May 2. 

This year, the address will be held in the Fairview High School cafeteria. Since the pandemic, the annual State of the Community address has been at the Fairview Park Gemini Center.

Remarks from Fairview Park Mayor Bill Schneider and Fairview Park City School District Superintendent Keith Ahearn will begin at 7:00 PM, although plenty of activities will be happening before the event.

“It’s a great event where you get to celebrate the collaboration between the city and the schools,” Ahearn explained. “I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to do this presentation with Mayor Schneider. I know it’s his first State of the Community address, and I’m certain the community will tune in to hear his vision.”

For the superintendent, the annual address is one way the district can tell its story to residents, including what is going well and areas for improvement.

“It is different every year, and it’s a challenge every year because so many good things are happening,” Ahearn said of the annual speech. “It’s trying to distill what’s happening every day into a presentation that covers one year. It’s a challenging task.”

Some of the focus areas in Ahearn’s speech will include the development and implementation of the school district’s strategic plan released in August, the district’s five-star rating from the state of Ohio, and a discussion of the “big picture” philosophy of student-centered learning.

“I’ve gotten asked a lot over the years what we should be known for as a district,” Ahearn stated. “You can talk about the technology we have, the programs we offer, or the skills profile we want students to develop. But really, the product we are trying to put on the field is a student-centered education. We try to meet the needs of students, and we know those needs come in a wide variety of packages.”

Hosting the event this year at Fairview High School allows residents to fully experience the district's success stories. Before and after the event, the district will host a Creative Arts and Design Showcase upstairs in the Innovation Center. The Fairview High School Chamber Orchestra will be performing, and groups and community organizations like the PTA, Fairview Park Education Foundation, Fairview Park Library, and Cleveland Clinic will have informational tables for residents to learn more.

“By hosting the event this year, we have the opportunity to share with members of the community that aren’t in our building frequently the outstanding facilities that the taxpayers have provided our students and staff with,” Ahearn said. “Also, the ability to combine it with the Creative Arts and Design Showcase will give our community a chance to see in person the kinds of things our students are capable of, including the art and exhibits they can produce. Those are examples of true learning, not just speaking about learning.”

The Creative Arts and Design Showcase will open at 5:30 PM in the school’s Innovation Center on the second floor. Elevator access is available. Doors open for the State of the Community event beginning at 6:30 PM.

“I would encourage people to tune in, whether they come to the event itself to see the collaboration between the city and the schools that makes this community so special or tune in later and hear what’s happening,” Ahearn expressed. “They are the reason that we do the things that we do, and they should feel that they have a voice in making this community the best it can be in the future.”