Work is underway to transform James Ford Rhodes High School into the James Ford Rhodes Education Campus.  Passers by will note that since last summer new doors and windows have been installed.  In addition new lighting has been installed around the building.
     When completed the facility will house four separate core learning groups or schools.  Funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Knowledge Works, the schools will be know as:

The Leadership School
The School of Medicine, Public Health and Justice
The School of Media, Inquiry and Technology
The Center for Urban and Environmental Studies 

     The Students will choose and enter a school their Freshman year and continue studies until graduation.  Being a new idea, it is important to understand that it will take time for the concept to be fully implemented.  Smaller class sizes are part of the overall goal of the new schools.  As a result of recent funding cuts current class sizes are above the projected size.
     When West Tech High School was closed a few years ago due to projected lower enrollment, the four remaining west side high schools absorbed the students that would have gone to West Tech.  As a result Rhodes, Lincoln-West, John Marshall and Max Hayes are severely overcrowded.  Similar overcrowding exists at each of the east side high schools as well.

Plans for a new west side high school were announce late in 2004.  The new, as yet unnamed school will be built on property located at W. 65^th Street and Storer Avenue and is expected to relieve overcrowding.
     A meeting was held on December 7 to educate parents, students, alumni and community members about the changes taking place at Rhodes.  School officials discussed campus operations while construction is underway and how the changes will impact sports and other extracurricular activities for students and staff.  As construction progresses some classes may have to be held in temporary modular buildings or trailers.  Representatives from the City of Cleveland were on hand to discuss problems with vehicular traffic on roadways near the school.  Morning and afternoon traffic, parked cars and pedestrian activity make it difficult for non school and public safety vehicle traffic to access the school and homes adjacent to the high school.
     Some work has been completed at the school.  There is now additional parking where the former tennis courts were located.  The entire parking lot area east of the building has been repaired and resurfaced.
     Steps on the west side of the gym have been replaced and work has begun on repairing the parking aread under te gym.  
      As a result of the construction and remodeling, the 75 year old building should remain a solid anchor in the community.  It will always be a reminder to students and alumni of the place that helped them to form values and relationships and to make the decisions that help to shape their futures.