Family communications

Dear Families of 5th-11th Grade Students,

Thank you for attending and/or viewing our recent 6-12 campus family information night. We appreciate your questions and would like to provide answers that were submitted from our survey to help you and your student prepare for the upcoming changes.

Centralized Information

We are committed to making this transition as smooth as possible for all students and families. District administrators will continue to plan for the move throughout the summer and will provide more information in the fall. 

To help our families organize information regarding the transition to the new campus, we will link all of our communications, videos, and information on the 6-12 Campus Information website, which is found as a quick link on our district’s website at cfalls.org. 

Building Layout and Facilities

• Middle School Restrooms: Each floor will have centrally located restrooms among all three pods.

• Middle School Student Lockers: Located within each middle school pod for convenient student access.

• Building Entry Points:

  • Students who walk, drive, or take the bus will use the 13th Street entrance.

  • Car riders will enter at the west entrance off Portage Trail.

Transportation Information

• Middle School Students: Those who qualify for transportation will receive busing beginning in August 2025.

• High School Students: Those who qualify for transportation will receive busing beginning in August 2026.

• Student Parking: For the second semester, student drivers will park by the stadium. Once Bolich is demolished, a new parking lot will be constructed in its place for students and staff, beginning in the 2026-27 school year.

• If you have specific questions about your route, please contact our Transportation Department at (330) 920-3610.

Support for Students with Disabilities

• Building Transitions: Intervention specialists and related service providers will consider the needs of the students on an individual basis and determine supports for a smooth transition to the new building, which may include social stories, picture supports, and/or a tour of the new classroom after construction is completed and prior to the move, to name a few. 

• Classroom Locations:  Students with disabilities are included in the general education setting to the greatest extent possible, as outlined in their Individualized Education Plans.  Students may receive support in collaborative spaces, small group rooms, and designated resource or specialized classrooms that are integrated throughout the campus.  Classrooms for students with the most intensive needs are located on the first floor. All floors are accessible by elevator. In collaboration with the Cuyahoga Falls Fire Department, plans for exit strategies and specialized equipment have been designed for student safety in emergency situations.  

• Staffing: Assignment of intervention specialists for the middle and high school will remain consistent with current practices.  We anticipate that the assignments for the first semester of the 2025-26 school year will remain the same for the second semester in the new building.  Our goal is to provide as much continuity as possible.  As with current practices, adjustments may need to be made when there are changes in staff or student needs. 

Safety Measures

What is our safety plan for emergency scenarios?

• Limited access points for entry into the campus via security vestibules

• Increased security presence with a full-time School Resource Officer and three security monitors

• Continuation of current safety protocols

• Investment in new safety technology initiatives

A safety video outlining the campus safety design is available for viewing on our district’s YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/RH72Iv49Ixo

We have also created a playlist of our 12-part video series highlighting areas of the new 6-12 Campus. Our final four videos will be released in the near future to complete this video series. https://tinyurl.com/22y2sqx4

Re: Open Enrollment/Intra-District Follow-Up Message 

Good Evening,

We are following up with additional information regarding open enrollment and intra-district students in grades 5-12 for the 2025-26 school year. We appreciate the families who reached out with thoughtful questions and concerns following our message sent last Friday. Your feedback has been invaluable in helping us clarify important details and ensure all families have the information they need during this transition.

Although this information specifically pertains to current fifth-grade students, we are sharing it with all families of students in grades 5-12 to ensure transparency.

• Fifth-grade students who are currently open enrolled in the district will be eligible to reapply for open enrollment.  If the student’s application is accepted, they will be attending Bolich for the first semester of the 2025-26 school year. Open enrollment period:  April 15, 2025 through May 31, 2025. 

• Current fifth-grade intra-district students will be placed at their neighborhood middle school.  Parents may apply for a middle school other than their assigned school for the first semester of the 2025-26 school year. Applications will be reviewed by the Student Services department. Please note that teams will be established in August and will not change when we transition to the new campus. Intra-district enrollment period: March 1, 2025 through April 14, 2025. 

Please refer to this boundary guide to review your child’s neighborhood middle school. 

Should you have any questions regarding enrollment, please contact our Student Services Department at (330) 926-3800 or cf_studentservices@cftigers.org.

Thank you for your input and support as we navigate this complex transition.

Greetings Fifth through Eleventh Grade Families,

It's hard to believe that 2025 is already here, bringing us just 11 months away from taking ownership of our new 6-12 campus! In November, we shared our first update about the move to the new campus. If you would like to review that information, you can find the post here in ParentSquare. 

In that update, we invited parents and guardians to submit any unanswered questions from the initial communication. District administrators and construction team members have since reviewed your submissions, and we are pleased to share the responses. To make it easier to navigate, we have organized the answers by topic.

Transportation

Will there be busing for the high school?

• Busing for high school students will begin in August 2026 for the 2026-27 school year.

Will middle school students and high school students be on the same bus?

• In January 2026, middle school students will be the only students permitted to ride the bus to the new campus.  Starting the 2026-27 school year, both middle and high school students will be riding the same bus to the campus.  Both schools will have the same start and end times and have the same mileage requirements of 1.75 miles or more from the school.

What is the plan for the increased drop off/pick up traffic?

• The traffic patterns were extensively studied by the architects and taken into consideration in our design plans. Based on these traffic studies, a new turn lane was added on Portage Trail, along with a new driveway encircling the campus. We will continue to monitor traffic when the campus opens and make changes as necessary.

How will we know if we qualify for transportation next school year?

For the 2025-26 school year, middle school students will qualify for transportation if they live 1.75 miles or more from the school. The transportation department is creating two separate bus route plans, one for each semester of the 2025-26 school year.  

• Families will be notified this Summer if they qualify for busing for the first semester. 

• In November or December, families will be notified if they qualify for transportation for the second semester (beginning in January 2026) . 

 If you have specific questions or need help determining if you qualify for transportation, please contact the transportation department at (330) 926-920-3610.

Open Enrollment, Intra-District, and Middle School Building Assignments

Can you provide clarity on open enrollment and intra-district enrollment for next year? 

Definitions

Open Enrolled Students: Students living outside of the school district boundaries and approved through an application process to attend a CFCSD school.

Intra-District Students: Students who reside within the school district boundaries but are approved through an application process to attend a school other than their neighborhood school.

• Current sixth and seventh grade students will remain in their current school in August, with one exception.  All approved returning Open Enrolled middle school students will attend Bolich.  Students currently Open Enrolled at Roberts will only have the option to attend Bolich in August. This adjustment will allow each grade-level to have two complete teams at Bolich. Roberts will have one team per grade-level for the first semester.

• Open enrolled students currently attending Bolich, Roberts, or CFHS for this school year will be eligible to reapply for open enrollment in the district for the 2025-26 school year. Open enrollment applications will be reviewed by the Student Services Department and families will be notified of their acceptance this Summer. 

• Current sixth and seventh grade students who are Intra-District Enrolled and attending their non-neighborhood school, will be eligible to reapply for Intra-District Enrollment for the 2025-2026 school year.  

• We will not be accepting new Intra-District Enrollments entering 6-8 grade next year.  Current fifth grade students moving to sixth grade next year will be attending their assigned neighborhood middle school for the first semester. 

• No new Open Enrollment applications will be accepted for grades 6-12 for the 2025-26 school year.  If a student lives outside of the school district and is not currently attending Bolich, Roberts, or CFHS, they will not be eligible for Open Enrollment. 

How are middle school students assigned to a team? Are 6th grade teams assigned by elementary buildings? How is the staffing going to be determined as two middle schools merge into one middle school?

• Students are randomly assigned to a team and/or according to the students’ programming. Each grade is evenly divided into three different teams. They are not grouped by elementary schools. 

• The staffing for grade-level and administrative teams is currently being analyzed and will be decided by the end of this school year. The student teams, teaching, counseling, and administrative staff will be in place in August so that relationships, expectations, and guidelines will remain the same after the transition to the new campus.

Building and Stadium

Is there a possibility that the campus will open earlier than January 2026?

• No, the district will not take ownership of the campus until the end of November. Staff will be setting up their classrooms and offices throughout December.

Will there be two different start and ending times for the middle and high school students?

• No, school will start at 7:55 a.m. and end at 2:50 p.m. for all 6-12 students. This schedule will be in place in August and will remain the same in January. 

How will the staff ensure that middle school students will not encounter high school students?

• As outlined in this video, the campus has been designed to minimize the areas that middle and high school students will share. In the instances where middle school students and high school students will be in the same area, staff will be located in these areas to monitor and supervise students.

Will soccer and football games be played in the new stadium in the fall?

• It is our hope that the soccer and football teams will start their seasons at Dix and Clifford Stadiums and then play a portion of their season in the new campus stadium.  The final decision is contingent upon the construction team ensuring the facility meets all safety requirements. 

Making the Transition Mid-Year

My child struggles with change and we are worried a mid-year move will create anxiety and stress for them.  What steps are in place to minimize the stress caused from a mid-year move?

• Every middle school child will get to know their principals, teachers, counselor, and team peers during the first semester.  Expectations and guidelines will be set in the first semester and will continue in the second semester.  

• Counselors and teachers will also be providing social emotional learning lessons, as well as Positive Behavioral Intervention Support resources for students throughout the first semester and after the transition.

• We will have staggered start dates for the first week we transition to the new campus to allow middle school and high school students time to learn the new building and routines.  Open houses will also be available for families to attend to learn about the transition.

• If you have questions specific to your child, we encourage you to reach out to your school counselor for additional resources. 

• Please find below a selection of resources for you to review at home with your child:

Navigating transition to high school

Back-to-school transition tips for parents and kids 

Parent's guide to transition

Helping your child adjust to a new school

Parent’s guide: Navigating the infamous middle school transition

Re: Move Dates, Middle School Plan, and Transportation

Dear Fifth Through Eleventh Grade Families,

We are excited to share that the new 6-12 campus, set to open in January 2026, is steadily progressing toward completion. As updates become available, we will provide information about the upcoming move from our current middle and high school buildings to the new facility.

While construction has been underway on site, district administration and staff have been diligently planning for the mid-year move. Our goal is to ensure a smooth transition for our students.

At this time, we are pleased to share the following details:

Scheduled Transition Date: Week of January 5, 2026

It is anticipated that the building will be finished in November 2025, at which time the staff will begin moving into their classrooms and offices. All 6-12 students will move into the new campus during the week of January 5, 2026.  To accommodate this transition, winter break has been adjusted to allow 6-12 staff and students the time to acclimate to the new facility by providing an open house and a staggered start for our middle school and high school students.  Please find the proposed calendar for the 2025-26 school year here for your reference. The Board of Education will be voting on this calendar on November 20.  

Middle School Plan

Our priority is the continuity of educational experiences while ensuring a seamless transition to the new campus. After gathering stakeholder feedback, it has been determined that students will attend their currently assigned school for the first semester of the 2025-26 school year. In order to create 3 distinct teams, we will need to make one adjustment.  Students who are open enrolled (those who do not live in Cuyahoga Falls) who currently attend Roberts Middle School and wish to return, will attend Bolich Middle School from the start of the school year until the opening of our new campus in January.  

Transportation

Students living 1.75 miles or more from their assigned school are eligible for transportation services. Due to the new campus location, some middle school students who qualify for transportation in the first semester may no longer meet the requirement once the campus transition occurs in January 2026. Conversely, some students who did not qualify for transportation during the first semester may qualify for transportation after the move. Parents will be notified in the Fall of 2025 regarding their eligibility.

We remain committed to providing transportation for high school students when the new campus opens at the start of the 2026-27 school year. Due to the complexities of Ohio law, we are unable to begin high school transportation mid-school year. For instance, the law requires public schools to simultaneously transport students attending private schools. We are sharing this information now to give you ample time to plan for this potential adjustment.

Student and Parent Orientation

To help students and families familiarize themselves with the new campus, we will offer orientation sessions prior to the opening of school. We will have opportunities for both parents/guardians and students to not only visit the campus but also provide you with specific information about the school, scheduling, etc. More details on dates and times will be provided in future updates.

A Unified Campus

We want to assure you the campus is designed to create a safe and focused environment for younger students through the design of middle school team “pods.” 

If you were unable to attend the community tour of the campus in October, we have created this video to show the general layout of the campus and a tour of the academic classrooms. Click on the link below to access the same video in Nepali. If you require the video in a language other than English or Nepali, please contact Christine Stewart at cf_stewart@cftigers.org. 

Video in Nepali

We have also included the following resources to aid in your child’s transition to the new campus. 

Navigating transition to high school

Back-to-school transition tips for parents and kids 

Parent's guide to transition

Helping your child adjust to a new school

Parent’s guide: Navigating the infamous middle school transition

We are dedicated to making this transition as smooth as possible and value your input. Attached is a form/survey where you can share any questions you have about the move. Your feedback will be essential in shaping our future communications. We ask that you complete the survey by November 30.  We will review your feedback and provide answers to your questions within the next couple of months via ParentSquare.  Thank you for your continued support and patience as we work together to create an exceptional learning environment for our students.