A Community Comes Together
Everyone agrees that Fernway’s transformation is a testament to what
can happen when a school district, a highly engaged group of parents,
and a generous community come together. The design and construction
were handled by Van Auken Akins Architect LLC and Gilbane Building
Co., two respected firms with strong Shaker Heights ties and an ear to the
community’s wants and needs.
While insurance paid for the lion’s share of the tab – the claim paid
out some $14.6 million – the Board of Education and the Shaker Schools
Foundation kicked in significant dollars to ensure that the new Fernway
would not just replace the old Fernway but would, as the chef Emeril Lagasse
used to say, kick it up a notch.
Through a series of fundraisers and private donations, the Foundation
raised money for a new playground behind the school as well as a rolling,
park-like green space, complete with bike racks, tables. and benches,
replacing the black asphalt where the students used to have recess and
which, in effect, gives the neighborhood a park. Former Fernway student
Noah Rusnak used his Bar Mitzvah to raise more than $4,000 for the
new playground and play space. Others, both corporate and individuals,
generously opened their checkbooks.
“Our donors’ generosity made this hope and dream a reality,” says Holly
Coughlin, executive director of the Shaker Schools Foundation. “Meetings
and family surveys provided valuable input so the needs of the community
were met. The community support was incredible.”
“I think we all felt the emotional impact,” says Mayor Weiss. “What I saw
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was this community spring into action.”
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