State of the School District, 2018
Benton-Carroll-Salem Schools
January 30, 2018
The state of the Benton-Carroll-Salem School District is as strong and resilient as it ever has been in 2018! Our strength and success as a school district can be measured in many ways. Based on the grades earned on the state's annual report card, Benton-Carroll-Salem is ranked #29 out of 614 school districts in Ohio! This means that Benton-Carroll-Salem Schools are in the very top tier of performing school districts in this state. While we are proud and celebrate this achievement, we do not rest in our efforts to continue to innovate and improve as Winston Churchill has reminded us: “Success is not final; failure is not fatal. It’s the courage to continue that counts.”
As we continue into 2018, teacher knowledge and understanding of the young people we serve will be essential. In understanding our students and making the necessary adaptations, our teachers consider the technology our young people have grown up with. On this note, author Jean Twenge, writes about the iGen, defined as those born in 1995 or later who "do not remember a time before the Internet." Twenge explains that the smartphone was a dominant factor, and "has had ripple effects across every area of iGen'ers lives from their social interactions to their mental health." For our school district (and many others) the realities of the smartphone mean that we have to not only incorporate technology as a teaching tool, but we have to purposefully teach our students to be good "digital citizens" when using smartphones and other devices. We talk to our students about their "digital footprint" through social media as this will have impacts as they enter college, the workforce, or the military.
So what makes B-C-S a top performing school district? I think there are three interconnected reasons. First, all of our staff (from the bus drivers and cafeteria employees to the teachers and administrators) collectively have a huge heart that deeply cares for and respects the students and families we work with. We work strenuously to create an environment where every student belongs. The second reason is the strength of involvement of our parents, families, and community. From the time and energy of our parents who go the extra mile to make sure their child is prepared for school to the volunteer who logs countless hours to provide the very best opportunities to student athletes, our school district is blessed with a strong investment by our stakeholders. Finally, there is the teaching staff deeply committed to continuous improvement in ensuring that each precious minute of classroom time is as meaningful and rigorous, and, yes, even as fun as possible! This means that teaching the same lesson over and over, year after year can no longer work. This means that our teachers are constantly revising their teaching practice. This means that our teachers not only revise lessons from year to year, but also minute to minute! To do this, our teachers tap into both the art and science of teaching and use quick formative assessments in class to determine if their teaching is hitting the mark. Based on what these assessments reveal-- and these assessments may be as simple as a thumbs up or thumbs down--our teachers adapt the lesson accordingly if the lesson is moving too quickly or too slowly.
To ensure that our top performance continues, we will have the following two priorities in 2018:
1) Continue to serve the learning needs of all students through dynamic, rigorous, and relevant teaching. This requires ongoing reflection, evaluation, and adjustment of our teaching practices. We remain committed to breaking down barriers for students who are on the brink of success. To do this, our teaching professionals take the time to get to know our students, to help them be connected to the school community so as to improve learning.
2) Continue to build partnerships and connections within our community to provide cutting edge opportunities to our students. From the Ottawa County Business Advisory Council to TNT Mentoring to the Oak Harbor Public Library, we continue to strengthen and build connections that have awesome benefits to our kids as we seek to prepare them for college, careers, and citizenship.
Beyond these top two priorities, we have a busy calendar year ahead. For example, we plan to improve the security at the entrances to both RC Waters Elementary School and Oak Harbor Middle School this calendar year. In the area of food service, for example, we are continuously revising our menus to plan meals and provide choices that our students enjoy within the guidelines we must comply with issued by the federal government. We also seek to continuously improve our communications as a district. A few months ago, we began sending out the weekly Rocket Report by email, which takes a look at the week past and the week ahead. We have got some very positive feedback from this. If you do not already get the Rocket Report and would like it sent to your email, please notify me at gparmigian@bcssd.com and I will add you to the list.
With the news of the de-valuation of the Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Plant by the Ohio Department of Taxation late last year, there have been many questions and some anxiety around the Rocket Family about what this will mean for Benton-Carroll-Salem Schools going forward. This de-valuation is going to result in the loss of $4.6 Million to B-C-S annually. Due to the conservative financial management of our Treasurer and Board of Education, we were able to tell our staff, students, and community that there would be no cuts to staffing or student programming going into the next school year, 2018--2019 (except through attrition). In the coming days, our Board of Education will be deciding on the amount and type of levy to ask voters to approve on the May 2018 ballot to solidify the financial future of B-C-S students. Also, in the coming days, we will have a better sense for how much financial assistance the Ohio General Assembly will be able to provide to our district given the catastrophic de-valuation. Amid all of this uncertainty and anxiety over the financial future, our staff has not missed a beat! There is no uncertainty around the focus and drive of our staff to serve the needs of all of our students (despite the anxiety that they may feel). The resilience and perseverance of the B-C-S Staff are a source of Rocket Pride, and at the heart of what makes our school district a strong institution!
Thank you everyone for your ongoing support of the students of Benton-Carroll-Salem Schools! Go Rockets!
Respectfully Submitted,
Guy L. Parmigian
Superintendnet
Benton-Carroll-Salem School District
Ottawa County, Ohio