Eastwood to close Pemberville Elementary as part of facility overhaul

Officials at the Eastwood Local School District have decided to close Pemberville Elementary for the 2026-27 school year.

“The cost of returning to the building — combined with the uncertainty of additional repairs — makes reopening a difficult decision at this time,” Eastwood superintendent Brian Hughes said. “Long-term decisions regarding the future of the building will be made by the board of education.”

As part of the recommendation, Eastwood plans on transitioning fifth grade students fully to the middle school, while permanently housing preschool in the elementary building.

“This shift will require thoughtful planning, particularly at the middle school, as we work through classroom configurations and space,” Hughes said. “We have explored several options and will continue refining plans to best meet the needs of our students and staff.”

For families of current fourth grade students, this means that as fifth graders next year, students will attend school full-time in the middle school building. Currently, fifth graders already utilize the middle school for electives and lunch, so this transition builds on existing routines. One of the primary changes will be a shift to the middle/high school daily time schedule.

“As we work through this transition, our goal is to preserve as many of the meaningful elementary experiences as possible, while also integrating students into the opportunities available at the middle school,” Hughes said. “We understand that events and traditions are important to students and families, and those conversations are an important part of our planning process. While some elements may not carry over in the same way, we are committed to ensuring students continue to have meaningful and engaging experiences.

“Our administrative team is actively developing detailed plans for each building and will continue to share updates as those plans are finalized. As with any transition of this size, we recognize there may be challenges along the way, but we are committed to working through them together with a focus on what is best for students.”

Hughes and district officials will also host a community forum on April 23 to provide updates on the progress of the facilities task force, review key facility priorities under consideration, and offer and opportunity for community input and discussion.