District to hold centennial open house

Brookside memories on tap at April 21 event

Sheffield-Sheffield Lake City Schools has been celebrating the district’s centennial anniversary throughout 2024, with a variety of events for locals and alumni to reminisce.

On April 21, the district is inviting people in to relive their Brookside memories.

The district and its Board of Education will host an open house for both Brookside High School, 1662 Harris Road in Sheffield Village, and the former location of the school, which now is Brookside Intermediate School, 1812 Harris Road.

Sheffield-Sheffield Lake Schools Board of Education member Sandra Jensen said she has been working to put the centennial activities together, including the open houses.

“Our district is 100 years old; it was incorporated in 1924,” Jensen said. “Over the years, we’ve closed a couple buildings.

“Our tours this weekend are focusing on, really, the second Brookside building. The building that was built in 1967, it was originally Brookside High School. It closed in 2015 and was turned into our intermediate building.”

Both buildings will be open to the public throughout the afternoon, but one of the former Brookside school locations will be absent, Jensen said.

The building that older Brookside alumni are looking for has since been turned into a practice field for the school’s Athletic Department.

According to Jensen, that building, simply known as Brookside School, was torn down a few years ago.

“Most people remember the building that was erected in 1924,” she said. “It started in 1923, and was heavily damaged by the tornado.

“That building was taken down … right around 2016, or so.”

Still, Jensen said she expects most returning Cardinals alumni to spend the majority of their time in Brookside Intermediate School.

The building housed nearly 50 years of graduating classes, she said.

In addition to students coming back, the Board of Education also has worked to bring current and former staff in for the open house.

“I think that’s going to be the

one that most people are going to want to tour, I think just because of (the sheer number) of graduating classes, Jensen said. “The first class was 1967.

“I believe Gayle Manning (current state representative) graduated in that first group. A lot of people want to see their old building, and we’re trying to get a lot of retired staff to come back, just for a couple hours.”

Jensen said she is excited to share the schools with the community, and to allow people to reminisce with their fellow alumni.

The hope, of course, is that Sheffield-Sheffield Lake City Schools are here to stay as a district for another 100 years, she said.

“It’s exciting; I think we’ve made a lot of strides,” Jensen said. “A lot of teachers open enroll their kids in our district.

“They bring their kids here, because they see it’s really a good district. I just love my community.”

The centennial celebration is far from over, Jensen said.

The Board of Education have planned a few activities, including an alumni picnic set for sometime in early summer.

Brookside High School and Brookside Intermediate School will be open from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., April 21.

All are welcome.