Chardon Schools is excited to welcome your Hilltopper in the fall. Convenient, online registration for your PreK–12 student(s) is now open.
Your student must be five (5) years of age on or before August 1, 2024to attend Kindergarten in 2024–2025.
Visit the District’s Registration page to enroll your PreK–12 student for 2024–25.
Registration questions can be directed to the District’s Board Office Secretary, Christine Creviston, at 440-286-0402.
Spring‘24
Chardon Schools is committed to a multi-layered approach for its top priority—the safety, security and wellness of students and staff.
The District has a number of new safety and security initiatives funded by two (2) Ohio K–12 School Safety Grants awarded to the District in 2022–23. Together, the grants total approximately $499,000.
Examples of our latest initiatives:
■ Chardon Middle School—Fall 2023
■ Chardon Early Learning Center—Spring 2024
■ Munson Elementary School—Spring 2024
■ Chardon High School—Summer 2024
■ Park Elementary School—Planning Underway Surveillance
■ Weapons detection technology—all campuses—Winter 2023
Security Services
Of critical importance in the layered approach to safety and security are School Resource Officer, Jasen Elam; Chardon Police; and the Geauga County Sheriff’s Office. Effective spring 2023, the District increased law enforcement presence on all school campuses. Our partnerships with local law enforcement are strong and invaluable. The impact of officers building positive relationships with students and staff is immeasurable.
Staff member Tony Madden provides yet another layer of security at the high school. Mr. Madden, hired in August 2023, serves as the school’s parking lot attendant and provides campus security services. He is committed to building positive relationships and is highly regarded by our students and staff.
Michael P. Hanlon, Jr., Ph.D. Superintendent
SRO Jasen Elam celebrates with Park Elementary students excited about their newly earned books from Inchy’s Bookworm Vending Machine, the school’s PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) system that recognizes taking responsibility, offering kindness, and perseverance.
Mr. Tony MaddenThe District’s K–12 Pledge contest gives students the opportunity to lead the Pledge of Allegiance at regular board meetings.
■ May 11— Senior Prom
■ May 17—Last Day— Seniors
■ May 20—Regular Board Meeting
■ May 23—Last Day— PreK–11
■ May 25—Class of 2024 Commencement
Commencement held at Memorial Field. Tickets required (allotted per senior). Rain date is May 26.
■ June17—Regular Board Meeting
■ June 27—Regular Board Meeting (to close FY)
Event details, additional events, and board meeting agendas and minutes can be found on the District website at www.chardon schools.org.www.chardonschools.org www.chardonschools.org
Chardon Middle School’s Family Literacy Night on March 7 featured keynote speaker Malcolm Mitchell—a retired New England Patriots Super Bowl Champion turned children’s author and Founder/CEO of Share the Magic Foundation. Community participants included Geauga County Public Library, United Way Services of Geauga County, and editor-in-chief Dillon Stewart of Cleveland Magazine
Malcolm drew a standing room only crowd in the school gymnasium. His presentation to students and their families focused on his lifelong challenges with reading, his desire to conquer those obstacles, and emergence as an author and promoter of literacy.
Throughout the evening, Malcolm interacted with students, tossing the football around and autographing free copies of his latest book— The Magician’s Hat. Event chair and English Language Arts teacher Cher Culliton stated, “It was an amazing night seeing students enjoying all of the literacy activities throughout the building then gathering to hear Malcolm’s message. We got so many books to donate [through the book exchange] to the United Way, and students walked away with a personalized journal.”
Family Literacy Night was made possible by the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce’s Reaching All Students Through Language and Literacy grant awarded to Chardon Schools in 2022.
Super Bowl Champion
Malcolm Mitchell brought the keynote magic to Family Literacy Night at CMS on March 7, speaking about the power ofliteracy, overcoming adversity, and teamwork.
Total revenue increased 1.93%, or $696,231, annually during the past 4-year period and, according to our State-filed November 2023 six-month forecast, is projected to increase 1.2%, or $437,580, annually through Fiscal Year 2028. Real estate has the most projected average annual variance compared to the historical average at $506,292.
Did you know Chardon Schools taxpayers are protected by Ohio House Bill 920 throughout this forecast? HB 920, which passed in 1976, added a tax rollback to shield property owners from unvoted tax increases, including property tax inflation. Under HB 920, as property values rise, tax rates auto-adjust to prevent exorbitant spikes in property tax bills.
Deb M. Armbuster Treasurer/CFO
$5,668,016$6,335,380
$1,472,379$1,165,730
$0$0
Thank you Chardon community for your support earlier this spring of Chardon High School Drama’s musical production of “Into the Woods”.
Much gratitude to Chardon Family Eyecare, Geauga Park District and Judge Eklund for their generous donations of eclipse glasses and viewers to our schools to help Hilltoppers safely view the total solar eclipse on April 8.
Sixty-three Chardon High School students earned the prestigious honor of induction into serviceoriented national honor societies this school year.
National Technical Honor Society and National Honor Society are nationwide organizations that recognize students who meet and maintain specific academic criteria and exemplify the pillars of Scholarship, Community Service, Leadership and Character.
Congratulations to Chardon High School senior Charlotte Jons on her Ohio Speech and Debate Association State Champ title in Program Oral Interpretation for a second consecutive year.
Congratulations to CHS seniors Taylor Holt and Nathan Suszynski and junior Thomas Cole who were inducted into Auburn Career Center’s NTHS chapter on February 21 and to the 60 CHS sophomores and juniors sworn into the CHS chapter of NHS on March 6. A full list of this year’s NHS inductees can be found on the Chardon Schools news page at chardonschools.org www.chardonschools.org
EXCITING NEWS —with the District’s rollout of standards-based report cards, K–2 students and families are no longer seeing a simple A, B, C, D or F letter grade for each subject area. The new assessments, which retain full alignment with State standards, support an enhanced growth mindset, providing a clearer picture of a student’s areas of mastery, progress and emerging growth.
Standards-based reporting identifies clearly defined learning targets within each subject area, communicating
student performance in a more detailed manner than traditional letter grade reporting can accomplish. M represents mastery, P indicates progressing towards mastery with some support, and E indicates emerging with difficulty and a need for practice and support.
The District’s research and development of standards-based reporting was initiated in 2021 by a committee of Chardon elementary school teachers, intervention specialists and administrators working with consultants from the Educational Services Center of Northeast Ohio together with Assistant Superintendent Ed Klein.
Dr. Klein stated, “Traditional grades do not accurately reflect student progress. Our revised report card works to ensure that we are accurately communicating student progress with our students and families.”
The revised report cards were initially launched in Kindergarten beginning in 2022–23 followed by first- and second-grade in 2023–24. The rollout continues with plans for the third-grade launch in 2024–25 and future implementation for the fourth grade.
Munson Elementary principal Mathew Prezioso stated, “The goal of our development committee was to give parents an accurate picture of where their children are with each standard. We have done this with the new report card. I have received much positive feedback from our families.”
$3.5M
Chardon Schools has embarked on the design and phase planning for the Washington Street 400, 402 and 404 property. The acquisition of this property was approved by the Chardon Board of Education in May 2023.
The new property allows for a multi-year relocation project, consolidating transportation, maintenance and business affairs operations into one shared location.
Recent developments include the Chardon BOE’s approval at the April 2, 2024 special board meeting of Millstone Management Group as the Construction Manager at Risk (CMR) and of ThenDesign Architecture (TDA) for the design.
The District anticipates approximately $3.5 million in renovations to the Washington Street site by the end of this calendar year.
Assistant Superintendent of Business Affairs Steven Kofol elaborated, “Among the undertakings the
District hopes to complete as part of that $3.5 million investment is the site work—all underground utilities potentially the rear building and the transportation section of the front building.”
CHARDON LOCAL SCHOOLS
428 NORTH STREET
CHARDON, OH 44024
LOCA L SCH OOLS
E-MAIL communications@ chardonschools.org CH AR DON
ANewsletterfortheChardonCommunity
Mission Statement We commit to high achievement for all students.
BOARD OF EDUCATION
PRESIDENT
Karen L. Blankenship
VICE PRESIDENT
Todd R. Albright
MEMBERS
Andrea L. Clark
James E. Midyette III
Carmen J. Paterniti
SUPERINTENDENT
Michael P. Hanlon, Jr., Ph.D. TREASURER/CFO
Deb M. Armbruster
EDITOR
Kelly A. Misch Communications Director
www.chardonschools.org
440-285-4052
communications@chardonschools.org
@ChardonSchools
@ChardonHilltoppers
@Chardon_Schools
to News Channel 5 at 11:30 AM on May 11 to catch Chardon High School’s 2024 Academic Challenge Team—Juniors
Connor Mosher, Lily Meyer and Kayla Schneider—in action against Marion L. Steele High School and Rootstown High School.