Legacy of Excellence

The Legacy of Excellence for the Berea City School District stretches back more than 150 years, when the first Board of Education was established in Berea in the 1851-1852 school year. In those days, the only schools in the area were general elementary schools (divided into attendance Districts. With the establishment of Berea High School in 1882:

"Berea became the center of advanced public school education throughout Southwest Cuyahoga County and Strongsville, Columbia, North Eaton and Olmsted Township. Students came by horses and rigs. Some came on trains on the Big Four and L.S. & M.S. and a few boarded in Berea to attend the only high school in this area.”"

(Men of Grit and Greatness, W.F. Holzworth, 1970.)

Commencement for the first graduating class of Berea High School was in 1886, and Midpark High School’s first commencement took place in 1963. Together, these two high schools, supported by all the District’s preschool, elementary, and middle schools/junior highs in the cities of Berea, Brook Park, Middleburg Heights, and a portion of Olmsted Falls, have created the Legacy of Excellence that continues to define the Berea City School District.

The Berea City School District takes great pride in its tens of thousands of outstanding graduates who have gone on to make their marks and to make a real difference in our communities, our state, our nation, and our world. And, in turn, a number of our graduates have taken the opportunity to share their pride in their school district on this site. We hope you will be inspired by their achievements, both personally and professionally, as they continue to build the Legacy of Excellence for the Berea City School District.