RIDNA SHKOLA (School of Ukrainian Studies) in Cleveland originally was organized by members of the Prosvita and supporters of the Ukrainian youth organization Plast (scouts) in 1950. It opened under the direction of Mrs. Mychajlyna Stavnycha at SS. Peter & Paul Parish on W. 7th St. There were 27 students and a limited curriculum. The school moved to MERRICK HOUSE in 1952, and in 1959, together with Ukrainian families, it moved into the suburb of PARMA to Thoreau Park Elementary School. In 1960 the school moved to Schaaf Jr. High School. In the mid-1960s the enrollment was 340 students in grades K-11, with a faculty of 19. The curriculum included language, literature, culture, history, and geography. Later the school moved to Shiloh Jr. High in Parma, then to Hillside Jr. High School in Seven Hills, and finally to Normandy High School in Parma, where it was located in 1995.
Ridna Shkola is one of the schools in a national network headed by Education Council UCCA in New York. Similar schools exist in Chicago, Detroit, Rochester, and other cities. The purpose of the school is to preserve the Ukrainian language and culture among the ethnic Ukrainians in the U.S. The intent of the school is to enhance language skills of students and to teach them the history, culture, and literature of Ukraine.
In 1995 enrollment was 150 students with a faculty of 12 teachers. The principal of the school was Dr. Viroslav Kosc. Financial support for the school is provided primarily by tuition, donations, and fundraising affairs. The overall financial and organizational support is provided by the Ridna Shkola Assn., presently headed by Mrs. Luba Mudri.