16 perfect state test scores among recent accomplishments celebrated at Hillsboro City Schools board meeting

Recent accomplishments of students within the Hillsboro City Schools district were celebrated at Hillsboro’s Monday, Oct. 21 Board of Education meeting, including recognizing 16 students who achieved perfect scores on state tests.

Earning perfect scores on the third grade math test were Layla Purdin and Aubrie Short. Six students had perfect fourth-grade math test scores in Briar Jones, Peyton Moore, Addison Mootz, Cohen Rhoads, Isaac Sheeley and Chase Willey. For fifth-grade math, Jayson Cardeman, Blaine Gard and Kenneth Greer each received a perfect score, as did Myla Jordan on the fifth-grade science test. One seventh-grader, Kinley Jackson, had a perfect score for English language arts. At the high school level, perfect scores were achieved by Jaxon Alexander (American history), Grant Shepard (geometry) and Devon Steward (geometry).

Several of the students and their families were on hand to be recognized with a certificate from superintendent Tim Davis, but all 16 individuals were announced and applauded for this accomplishment.

“We want to tell them how awesome they have done and how great a job they've done in representing Hillsboro City Schools,” Davis said.

“Congratulations, and congratulations to the parents that raised them,” board president Bill Myers added.

Later, in his report, Davis again praised the district’s teachers as well as the students and families.

“I just want to say what a great job our staff has done to prepare our students,” Davis said. “We had 16 students score perfect on the state assessment, which is just an outstanding accomplishment. Our teachers, parents and the kids themselves are just doing an outstanding job, so that is very impressive.”

Davis also listed several other student accomplishments in his report to the board, including naming all of Hillsboro’s All-Frontier Athletic Conference honorees: Corbin Winkle, now a three-time Cross-Country Runner of the Year; girls soccer players Kobie Miles, Meredith Dietrick and Ella Jordan; boys soccer players Wesley Bailey, Tate Davis and Ryan Howland; girls cross-country runners Taylor Thoroman and Abbey Letts; girls tennis players Jenna Hart and Adalyn Gaines; volleyball players Samantha Tipton and Tylee Davis; girls golfer Emma Yochum; and boys cross-country runner Rason Brunck.

In other Hillsboro athletic accomplishments, seventh grade intervention specialist Fawn Girard won an individual world championship in field archery, Davis announced.

“As an individual, she won the gold, and it was in an archery tournament in Canada,” Davis said. “Her women's team and her mixed team were both silver, and she secured a spot in the 2025 world team that will compete in China over the summer.”

Also receiving recognition was Hillsboro High School student Anna McKenzie, as Davis said she earned a place in the Ohio Music Education Association State Choir.

“She'll be performing at the OMEA State Conference in Cleveland in February,” Davis said. “She had to perform and try out and was selected for that, so that is awesome. Congratulations to Anna.”

In addition, accomplishments from the past school year are on display in the HCS buildings and in businesses around the community through the district’s annual “Year in Review” poster.

The “year in review” started in July 2022 as a new brochure and placemat produced by the district which reviewed accomplishments of the district and their students and staff throughout the 2021-22 school year.

For a second year in a row, the list was so extensive that the district placed the information on a poster.

“The print is getting smaller because we’ve got so many great things going on, with the amount of kids that we have that have great accomplishments,” Davis said. “I’ve got a few of those out in the community, and a few more that I need to deliver, and they are in both buildings, just highlighting all of our students.”

The poster lists academic and extracurricular honors from the 2023-24 school year.

Academic accomplishments include:

• State report card 4-star ratings and a recap of state assessment scores;

• The aforementioned students receiving perfect scores on the Ohio state assessments;

• Scarlett Studebaker, who won the Franklin B. Walter All-Scholastic Award; and

• The 11 valedictorians for 2023-24.

Extracurriculars include:

• Art (FAC Art Show winners);

• Choir (OMEA State Awards, Ensemble ratings, Honor Choir);

• FFA (state placers, state degrees and American degrees);

• Indian Pride Club (28 graduates);

• Robotics (state and world qualifiers);

• Senior class officers;

• Sports (conference, district, regional and/or state honors for individuals and/or teams in high school and middle school, as well as the six Don McKenzie Award winners and Kobie Miles setting new records in track and field); and

• Theatre (the fall play and spring musical casts).

Other recognitions included Girard’s athletic accomplishments, as well as student Olivia Watson enrolling in the Army ROTC; Ryan Howland being selected as the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership winner; and the 66,660 meals delivered by the Summer Food Truck program.

“It’s great to see the accomplishments that our students are making,” Davis said. “With that poster, it started off on a regular sheet, and then it turned into a longer one on double-sided, and now it's turned into a poster.

“Like I said, the font keeps getting smaller, to kind of cram it all in, but that's just a testament to how great our kids are, our community and our staff.”

In Davis’ report to the board, he also recapped a number of recent activities, as he said the district has officially concluded its first nine-week grading period and has entered its second quarter.

According to the superintendent, homecoming was held the weekend of Oct. 4; the elementary walk-a-thon was held Oct. 4 as well to raise money for Camp Joy; a high school choir concert took place Oct. 8; the FFA chapter hosted Ag Day for fourth graders Oct. 11; a countywide college fair was held at HHS Oct. 15; third graders completed their fall state test Oct. 15-16; and a professional development day took place Oct. 18.

Upcoming events, Davis said, are elementary parent/teacher conferences Oct. 24 and Nov. 7; no school Nov. 1; the HHS fall play, “Deadline,” performed Nov. 8-10; and high school parent/teacher conferences Nov. 21.

“We’ve had a lot of stuff going on,” Davis said. “It's good to see. We’ve had a great start to the school year, very pleased with the things that we're doing, lot of successes, so kudos to our administrators, teachers and students.”

In other reports:

• Board member Beverly Rhoads reviewed highlights from the Oct. 9 Great Oaks Career Campuses board meeting. According to Rhoads, Great Oaks earned a five-star rating on the Ohio Department of Education’s 2024 Report Card, meeting all federal indicators.

During the meeting, the Great Oaks board heard 2024-25 strategies from President/CEO Harry Snyder, which included student achievement/exceptional engagement; exceptional culture/exceptional collaboration; and safety/facilities. Treasurer/CFO Brian Rabe’s strategies involved improving leadership through financial stewardship; improving operational efficiency and utilization of resources; and providing effective communication to stakeholders.

Also approved during the Great Oaks meeting were a resolution to develop a master renovation and expansion plan and an authorization to prepare specs and advertise for bids fro the Diamond Oaks Dental and Welding lab.

• Board member Larry Lyons said that for legislative updates, most of the focus is currently on the 2024 election.

“Make sure you get out and vote,” Lyons said. “People like to complain about what happens. If you haven't voted, you don't have really a right to complain, so get out to vote.

“Also on the legislative front, there's still some finessing of the new Department of Workforce, of Education and the Department of Education, the roles that are overlapping. There’s a little bit of work going on there.”

• Myers said that he attended the athletic council’s meeting Oct. 21. He also requested that the board select a date for “a special board meeting, just to go over some of our future plans and where we're headed as a district.”

After a discussion, the board decided to hold a special meeting Monday, Nov. 25 at 9 a.m. It was also noted that their regular November meeting has been pushed back a week, and it will be held the same date —Monday, Nov. 25 — at 7 p.m.

Also during Monday’s meeting:

• The board approved the financial reports as presented. According to Teeters, the district had a general fund cash balance of $13,144,234 for September 2024, up from $11,333,359 in September 2023; expenses of $2,624,775, up from $2,397,585 last year; and revenues of $4,717,187, up from $4,753,890 a year ago.

“We’re running even, just the same as we did last year, with a little bit of an increase in expenses,” Teeters said. “Some of the monthly expenses were for the science of reading project where the state of Ohio gave stipends to the elementary teachers, $1,200, if they did this course. The state will reimburse the school for the money that we paid out.”

• The board rescinded a previously approved contract with MS football coach Sheldon Griffin, due to failure to complete paperwork.

“He was board approved and then didn’t follow in with coming in,” Davis said. “He has not completed the job.”

• The board approved the following individuals for the contracts and positions indicated:
— Volunteers - Janet Fair, Sarah Fullenkamp, Adrian Scott and Tim Simbro (all); Cathryn Fauber and Melanie Short (HES, HMS); Jonathon Hunt (wrestling coach); Kim Ison, Mike Page and Lucia Tomko (HS bowling coaches); Kaelle Lowe and Erin Tumbleson (HES); and Lynn White (HMS).
— Sub certified: Ian Darras, Laura Engle (retroactive to Sept. 23), David Evans, Elizabeth Howland (retro Oct. 21) and Kellie Vilvens.
— Sub classified: Brittany Evans (aide, clerical), Jessica Gipson (cook) and Joshua Wilkin (custodian).
— Supplemental: Nate Horne (weight room supervisor - winter); Lindsay Inman (site supervisor - winter); Shane Ison (HS varsity boys bowling coach); Megan MacIvor (HS assistant varsity swim coach); Bruce Messer and Jeremy Ratcliff (HS assistant wrestling coaches); Jeff Miller (HS varsity girls bowling coach); Ben Pence (HS varsity wrestling coach); Matt Schneider (HS varsity swim coach and fall site supervisor); and Chad Vaughn (MS wrestling coach).

• In a separate motion, the board voted 4-0, with Lyons abstaining, to approve Brock Haines as a certified substitute, retroactive to Oct. 10, and Bruce Miles a winter site supervisor.

• The board accepted changes of status for the following staff, for the 2024-25 school year: the Spirit Store supplemental position changing from Stephanie Haines only to a split position with Cindy Asmus; and the vocal music adviser position, from a split between Laura Jacky and Jenna Horick to only Jacky.

• The board approved leaves of absence for teachers Hannah Barnett (effective April 8-June 3, 2025), Krista George (Nov. 1-30) and David Sedivy (Sept. 16-Oct. 11) and paraprofessional Tiffany Keidel (Nov. 19-Jan. 14).

• The board accepted the resignation of cook Emmalynn McGuire, effective Oct. 14.

• The board accepted an anonymous $600 donation toward fifth graders’ Camp Joy Fund and a $400 donation from Wendy’s toward books for elementary school students.

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