Superintendent's Article - August 21, 2008

It is a pleasure to be selected to serve the Louisville City Schools as superintendent. What an outstanding school district and community! I have been incredibly impressed with the dedication of the many principals, teachers and support staff members I have had the pleasure of meeting. I look forward to seeing our students return and greeting other members of the teaching and support staffs. I am very excited to meet members of the Louisville Community and hope to become involved in many community organizations and activities.

Recently Louisville City Schools received its State and Local Report Card. Once again, our school district received an "EXCELLENT" Rating. Congratulations are in order for all of our students and teachers who work very hard each and every day to master the new state standards. The performance of several of our schools deserves special mention and recognition.

Louisville High School once again achieved an EXCELLENT Rating and has received an Excellent ranking since the inception of the Ohio Graduation (OGT) Tests. Of the 17 school districts in Stark County, Louisville High School ranks no lower than 5th in every subject area tested and the number of students who have passed all five tests. In the fourth grade writing achievement test, Louisville students finished at the top of the county - 1st! One of our schools, Fairhope Elementary, had 100% of their students pass the 3rd grade reading achievement test. For each and every student to pass the test is an exceptional performance! We are very proud of our students and staff. If you would like more information on test scores and school performance, please check the Ohio Department of Education webpage at www.ode.state.oh.us.

One of the challenges facing our schools and a new superintendent is the proposed bond issue. As a newcomer to the district, I am trying to assimilate all of the previous projects and Louisville Schools' involvement with the Ohio Schools Facilities Commission. It has been very surprising for me to learn that if the issue passes in November, over 37 million dollars of state funds will be spent for our students and our community. The cost for an owner of a home with a $100,000 market value is only $27.56 per year, or $13.76 per half.

I look forward to discussing the educational needs of our children and continuing to celebrate their many successes. GO LEOPARDS!