s fall, LaBrae High School students participated The Sandy Hook Promise -- a nationwide initiative educate and empower youth and adults to event violence in schools, homes and mmunities one ‘hello’ at a time. the students participated in various activities romise preventative initiative “Start with Hello” more inclusive and connect with each other. ze signs of loneliness and social isolation in their designed to provide ways to help students grow p munity. -- Please see more about the Sandy Hook
LaBrae Educators Retiring
Mrs. Jenny Nogales
Bascom Elementary teacher Jenny Nogales retired effective November 1, 2024. Mrs. Nogales has been an elementary teacher at LaBrae Local Schools since 1991. She is also a community member who is a graduate of LaBrae, and whose husband and children are all LaBrae graduates.
LaBrae thanks Mrs. Nogales for her exemplary service to our Vikings and wishes her a happy and healthy retirement!
Friday, November 1st was LaBrae Day. K-12 students celebrated being Vikings with a school-wide pep rally. Senior students highlighted academics, sports, band, STEM, clubs, kindness, and Viking character. LaBrae students and staff came together as one positive school community.
On Monday, November 11th, National Kindness Day, LHS students were reminded of the benefits of kindness in our everyday lives. Some students were recognized for their acts of kindness.
On Monday, November 25th, the spirit day theme was Green Day! Green is an important color for the Sandy Hook Promise. Green is symbolic of change and growth, and implies learning, harmony, and protection.
On Tuesday, November 26th, the theme was Favorite Team Jersey or better yet “Team Up Day.” Being a team is symbolic to the Sandy Hook Promise because it shows a culture of inclusion and connectedness. LHS students teamed up to create an inclusive school and community.
Each morning, students heard a positive message explaining the Sandy Hook program, as well as a daily positive mantra. Homeroom teachers highlighted the “Start With Hello” lesson of the day with an interactive discussion and daily challenge of social inclusion.
Lunch activities helped celebrate our “Start With Hello Week.” Students connected with new peers using conversation starter games and teamed up to play cornhole. Every student at LHS wrote a gratitude note to a trusted LaBrae adult as part of an ELA lesson.
Our seniors welcomed Bascom students each morning with a Viking smile and Viking pride.
Today and every day, our Viking student body and staff will team up and show our support for the Sandy Hook Promise.
LaBrae Day 2024!
LaBrae students and staff for all grade levels gathered in the LaBrae High School gymnasium on Friday, November 1st, for a district-wide pep rally celebrating Viking Nation.
The band played and the cheerleaders cheered as students from kindergarten through 12th grade danced, stomped their feet, shouted and called out “LaBrae Vikings!”
Senior students highlighted academics, sports, band, STEM, clubs, kindness, and Viking character. LaBrae students and staff came together as one positive school community in an effort to nurture and build school and community spirit.
In November, LaBrae issued a check to Huntington National Bank for $685,125 which marked the last payment on the 23-year debt used to finance the construction of the LaBrae Grades 3-12 Complex. The original debt, authorized by voters in 2001, to construct LaBrae’s grade 3-12 building was refinanced in 2011 as the District took advantage of historically low interest rates at that time. The refinancing of the debt saved the District, and subsequently, LaBrae taxpayers, $631,644 in interest since 2011. Additionally, since, 2012, LaBrae has returned unused principal to the taxpayers through the reduction of the bond millage levied against properties. The unused principal of $650,000 was used to supplant the reduction of revenue from the bond and was put toward paying down the debt. This debt elimination is a hallmark moment in the history of LaBrae Local Schools. The LaBrae Board of Education wishes to express its appreciation to the community for making dreams become reality.
Also, collection of the 3.0 mill replacement permanent improvement levy that voters approved in November of 2023 begins with the winter tax collection in February 2025. One should recall, that as the replacement levy was being considered, property values were expected to increase, but there was no accurate data at the time of the vote to determine the impact of the levy on property owners. In light of this circumstance, the LaBrae Board made a commitment to voters that it would reduce the millage of the prospective levy to generate the approximate revenue requested The Board voted in the fall of 2024 to reduce the millage from 3 mills to 2 75 mills As result, voters in February should see little to no change in property taxes associated with LaBrae with the expiration of the bond and the reduction in millage on the permanent improvement levy
Should you have questions regarding the information herein, please do not hesitate to contact the Superintendent or Treasurer at 330 898 0800
Districts Partner to Save Taxpayers
This school year ushered in a renewal of a shared-services agreement between LaBrae Local Schools and Mathews Local Schools to continue to share a treasurer through FY2027. In 2020, or FY2021, LaBrae and Mathews first entered into the agreement to explore whether sharing a treasurer was feasible. The partnership enters its fifth year, and the arrangement has proved very cost-effective for taxpayers in both communities. Since its inception, LaBrae has saved approximately $197,000 in personnel costs, and Mathews has saved approximately $138,000 in costs associated with employing their own treasurer. It is the intent of both school districts to maintain this shared arrangement so long as quality of service and cost savings are prevalent
school finance 101: did you know?
Managing school finances is vastly different from managing personal finances. At home, you can use any part of your revenue to cover any one of your expenses. However, public schools use something called a “fund accounting" system. In a fund accounting system, revenues are deposited into specific funds based on the source and the purpose of the revenue. Money in each fund can only be spent for specific purposes and must be accounted for per state and federal Department of Education guidelines. Schools can not borrow funds from one fund and put them in another to cover incurred expenses.
District Revenue
General Fund
Salaries & Benefits
Purchased Services Capital Outlay
Other
Permanent Improvement Fund
Improving, Renovating, Maintaining, & equipping school facilities
Cafeteria Fund Food Services
Expenses & Revenues
Staff Wages & Benefits
Activity Fund
Athletic Department
Student Council Class Funds
Other clubs & organizations
Principal Fund
Items for Staff & Students
School Funding: Key Principles
Ohio's public schools are funded with local, state, and federal dollars. Of the funding revenue received by LaBrae Local Schools, approximately 7% comes from the federal government, 24% from local property taxes, and 69% provided by the State. The state funding from the Ohio Department of Education & Workforce (DEW) is calculated primarily on enrollment numbers, property values, and the economic conditions of the families that live in the district The local funding comes from taxes collected on real property within the district. As such, the more students enrolled, the more funding the district receives from the state. Additionally, as a district’s property values and average incomes increase, the state decreases the rate of funding, and conversely, it increases the funding rate as values and incomes decrease.
LaBrae Hall of Fame Class of 2024 Inductees
Keith Gunther Class of 1986 Aaron Young Class of 1993
Keith Gunther, a 1986 graduate of LaBrae Local Schools, was a standout athlete on the LaBrae High School basketballcourt
Keith served as team captain and earned the MVP title for twoyearswhileaveraging25pointspergame Hegarnered alonglistofaccolades,including:
KeithearnedafullscholarshiptoAshlandUniversity,where he played as a starter for four years He collected 918 careerpoints,securingDefensivePlayeroftheYearandAll League Team GLVC as a junior and senior. He drove his team to the Division 2 Elite 8 and served as team captain fortwoofhisfouryears
Moving from student to coach, he holds the most career wins record at Ursuline High School and has logged his 300th career win as of Feb. 13, 2024. He was named 2017 Vindicator Coach of the Year and 2023 Mahoning Valley BasketballCoachoftheYear.
Keith has worked in probation for 24 years. Currently, he is ChiefofProbationfortheCityofGirardandheadofGirard Recovery Court He has completed nine home rehabs in the LaBrae community, allowing families to live in the LaBrae School District. In 2017, he was awarded Trailblazer of the Year by the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. Psi Omicron Chapter for his outstanding work within his community throughcoachingandmentorship
With nine varsity letters from three sports, Aaron Young left his mark on LaBrae Local Schools as a three-time regional qualifier for cross country, helping lead his team to the school’sfirstback-to-back-to-backleaguechampionships
Furthermore, he played as a valuable member of LaBrae’s most thrilling basketball seasons in the early 1990s, most notably a span during the 1992/1993 season when the team ranked top in the state. Receiving the top field goal percentage his senior year, he shared the MVP honor with several teammates Finally, he contributed significantly to the track&fieldprogram,participatingineveryeventinthesport atvariousmeetsthroughouthiscareer.
He continued his education at the highly competitive School of Architecture at The Ohio State University. Earning his Bachelor ofScienceDegreeinLandscapeArchitecturein1997,Aaronisa: StateofOhiolicensedLandscapeArchitect MemberoftheAmericanSocietyofLandscapeArchitects Member of the Council of Landscape Architectural Registration CertifiedParksandRecreationProfessional
With a career spanning nearly 27 years, including both public andprivatesectorleadershippositions,Aaroncurrentlyserves as the Executive Director of Mill Creek MetroParks in Mahoning County, Ohio. Under his direction, MetroParks has received numerous Ohio Parks and Recreation Awards Additionally, in his 47 years in the LaBrae community, he has acted as a Braceville Township Trustee for four terms since his first appointment to the elected office in 2007. He also served the community as an eighth-grade girls’ basketball coach for a year and a freshman boys’ basketball coach for five years He currently participates in the LaBrae Public Schools Advocacy Committeeashecontinuestochampionthosearoundhim.
LaBrae High School NHS Induction
On December 12, LaBrae High School Inducted 23 new members into LaBrae's Louise Clark Chapter of the National Honor Society (NHS). New inductees were honored in a day ceremony in front of their family and honored guests. Current NHS officers and inductees presented the new honorees in a ceremony recognizing their scholastic and individual accomplishments. Elements of their biographies correlating to the pillars of the NHS were highlighted during the ceremony.
The purpose of the National Honor Society is to create enthusiasm for scholarship, to stimulate a desire to render service, to promote leadership, and to develop character in the students of America's high schools. National Honor Society membership has been the true mark of student achievement for over 100 years, but it goes far beyond a report card. By empowering, championing, and recognizing well-rounded students, NHS provides a values-based framework to elevate a culture of scholarship, service, leadership, and character.
Congratulations to our newest members of the NHS! The senior inductees are: Kingston Brogdon, Laylah Hayes, Savana King, Ethan Magoulick, Morgan Nowakand Sammi Wells. The junior inductees are: Hannah Bailey, Abigail Balzer, Shelby Bragg, Wyatt Brundage, Liam Fiest, Truly Jacops, Madison Johnson, Nathan Lutz, Brett Marsh, Austin Rowe, Khloe Sanderson, Makayla Scruggs, Guy Sewell, Jacob Simpson, Mia Sloan, Nolan Stilwell and Morgan Thompson.
Bascom Principal Named a United Way Hero!
Congratulations to Bascom Principal Maggie Kowach for being named a United Way of Trumbull County 100 Year 100 Hero! The United Way's Centennial Committee selected Mrs. Kowach as one of 1OO local heroes as part the agency’s centennial celebration.
The committee remarked, “Maggie has what you want everyone in education to have. She is contagiously enthusiastic and cares about each child in her building. She provides experiences and opportunities for the kids in her school that they will never forget. She makes you want to go back to grade school!”
In an Ohio House of Representatives' Resolution, State Rep. Nicholas S. Santucci commended Mrs. Kowach, describing her as “a remarkable individual, combining civic concern and dedication with selfless initiative to become a dynamic leader in your community ... ”
The Ohio School Boards Association has recognized LaBrae Board of Education President Rusty Sewell, left, with a 25year service award.
Reno Contipelli, OSBA NE Regional Manager, presented the award to Mr. Sewell at the school board’s December 9th meeting.
Mr. Sewell, a lifelong resident of Leavittsburg, was first elected to the Board of Education in 1995, serving from 1996-2000. His current tenure on the Board began with his re-election in 2003.
Sanzenbachers Bequeath Scholarship Funds
Dale and Althea Sanzenbacher were long-time Leavittsburg residents who adored their community and committed to it with servant hearts. Even in death, their life of service bears true as their estate has donated to a variety of charities. LaBrae Local Schools was selected as a beneficiary to receive approximately $134,000 for the purpose of funding scholarships for graduating LaBrae seniors.
The Board of Education has created the Sanzenbacher Family Scholarship Fund, and the BOE is currently considering an annual scholarship distribution plan that will begin in the Spring of 2025 LaBrae is grateful for the generosity of the Sanzenbachers and their impact on LaBrae seniors
2024-2025LaBraeBoardofEducation
Mr RussellSewell,Email:rustysewell@labraeschool
Mrs KarenAncellEmail:karenancell@labraeschool
Mr BradleyGamlinEmail:bradleygamlin@labraeschool
Mr.TimGibson,Email:tim.gibson@labrae.school
Mrs.JuliaShuttEmail:julia.shutt@labrae.school
Board Meetings
LaBrae Board of Education meetings are scheduled for the second Monday of each month. Typically, the lone exception is the month of November, when the Board meets on the third Monday of the month. The meeting schedule can be found on the LaBrae website.
