FALL
2025
CLEVELAND HEIGHTS • UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS CITY SCHOOLS Board Selects Baumgardner As New Name For Monticello On July 16, the Monticello Middle School Renaming Task Force presented their list of three potential new school names to the Board of Education for their consideration. The list was a culmination of research, reflection, and conversation, all with equity and representation at the forefront. Those three names were: Baumgardner Middle School, Heights Middle School, and Yellowstone Middle School. Following discussion, the Board approved a motion to change the school’s name to Baumgardner Middle School. The Baumgardner Story Dr. Luther O. Baumgardner, a Black physician originally from South Carolina, moved to Cleveland in 1921 after finishing medical school at Howard University. In 1938, he and his wife, Myrtle, and their young daughters, Gretchen and Jane, moved into a house the couple had purchased on Wilmar Road in Cleveland Heights. Just a few days after moving into the home, they suffered a bombing attack after a dinner party as Dr. Baumgardner tucked Jane into bed.
Thankfully, no one was hurt, but the explosion significantly damaged the home and even broke neighbors’ windows. It was clear that the attackers intended, at the very least, to intimidate the family into moving away, simply because they were Black—among the first Black homeowners in Cleveland Heights. Gretchen Walker (Baumgardner).
The family refused to be intimidated, however, and Gretchen and Jane went on to attend Monticello Middle School and graduate from Cleveland Heights High School (classes of June 1948 and June 1955, respectively). Dr. Baumgardner lived in the Wilmar home until his death in 1976. Both Gretchen and Jane went on to earn advanced degrees, have careers, and raise families. Gretchen passed away in 2009 in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Dr. Jane Savoy is 87 years old and a practicing psychologist in Michigan. Dr. Jane Savoy (Baumgardner).
The Baumgardners’ story is one of courage, tenacity, and achievement, and so are the stories of Heights students past, present, and future. On October 23, 2025 at 4:30 p.m., the District will be joined by the Baumgardner family to formally dedicate the school under its new name. The community is invited to attend this celebration at Baumgardner Middle School.
Latham Begins Role As CFO
The CH-UH City School District has welcomed Angele Latham as its new Chief Financial Officer/Treasurer. Most recently, Latham had served as the treasurer of Reynoldsburg City Schools since 2021, where she managed a $100 million annual operating budget. Prior to that, Latham served as Executive Director, Strategic Planning, Financial Services and Grants Management at the Cleveland Metropolitan School District from 2017-2021. Latham holds a master’s degree from Cleveland State University in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting, and a certificate in Education Finance from Georgetown University. She was awarded the Richard H. Hinds Certificate of Achievement from the Council of Great City Schools in 2017. “I am thrilled to join a school community that is so deeply committed to providing its students with equitable resources and access to opportunities,” said Latham. “It is an honor and privilege to take on the responsibility of ensuring taxpayer dollars are spent strategically, equitably, and responsibly.” Latham succeeds Scott Gainer, who retired in July after 30 years of service to the District.