THE DRAKKAR THE DRAKKAR
SUMMER 2025
Take A Book. Leave A Book. Share the Joy of Reading. Take A Book. Leave A Book.
Share the Joy of Reading.
In April, the school district opened its first Little Free Library at Bascom Elementary School.
The little library, installed outside the school, joins an international movement to “share books, bring people together and create communities of readers,” explained Stacey Biery, librarian.
Worldwide, there are more than 200,000 small, front‐yard book exchanges in over 181 countries — from Iceland to Tasmania to Pakistan.
HOW IT WORKS: You can take a book to read, but also leave books to share with others.
The Little Free Library at Bascom was provided through a grant from LittleFreeLibrary.org. Along with Biery, Bascom custodian John Maurer, and Joe Trimbur, who teaches art at LaBrae intermediate and middle schools and painted the panels, helped in the process of getting the Little Free Library ready for students, families and community members to use.
From left Bascom custodian John Maurer, his niece, Everleigh Maurer, a kindergarten student, librarian Stacey Biery, and Joe Trimbur, art teacher at Labrae intermediate and middle schools, who painted the book box panels.
Bascom Students Transform Principal Into Human Sundae
Top Fundraisers
Pour on the Toppings
It was a gooey good time at Bascom Elementary School when Principal Maggie Kowach allowed students to transform her into a human ice cream sundae.
One by one, students who sold 10 or more items took turns pouring ice cream, sauces and toppings on Mrs. Kowach in front of the whole student body during a special assembly. The winning had front row seats to see the transformation up close.
Students had the best sale in over eight years. They took part in a “Zap-A-Snack” fundraiser with Diamond Group Fundraising. The fundraiser money pays for field trip expenses including transportation costs and admission fees; student rewards and incentives; special school events and assemblies; and additional educational supplies for students in grades K-2.
Mrs. Greaver’s second grade class sold the most items with help from Krystal Gearhart, the top seller of the school who sold $2,657 worth of items. For her part, she helped placed the cherries on Kowach’s head to top off the sundae.
Krystal has been the top seller every year for the past three years. She received an overnight stay for four people at Kalahari resort in Sandusky as her top prize.
Top fundraiser 2 grader Krystal Gearhart, who sold $2,657 worth of items, pours a cup of cherries over Mrs. Kowach’s head to top off the human sundae the Bascom principal became during a special assembly to recognize the top sellers.
Krystal’s classmates got to have a pajama party and her teacher was rewarded with a $100 Amazon gift card to buy supplies for her classroom.
Top selling students in each classroom w lunch at the Elm Road Pizza Hut. Fifty-f attended a school field trip to Chuckie E. C items with each receiving a smart watch a “The money earned through the fundra mission. We strive to cooperate with f students for their future by providing them materials, and experiences in a positive student growth, develop good character, responsible and critical thinkers,” said Ko our students’ education, have fun, and cr educational years.”
Students had the best sale in over eight years, with 2 grader Krystal Gearhart topping the sales with $2,657 in items sold. nd
LMS Top Fundraisers Earn Trip to Dave & Busters
LaBrae Middle School students who sold five boxes or more of fundraising pretzels were treated to a trip to Dave & Busters in Niles during school. Students enjoyed lunch, games, and had a wonderful time!
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!
BascomElementaryteacherJayne Morrisonisretiringattheconclusionof thecurrentschoolyear.Mrs.Morrisonwas originallyhiredtoteachspecialeducation atBascomElementaryin1992.Afterafew yearsofservice,shetransferredtoa first-gradeclassroomwhereshehassince remained.
Herentireteachingcareerhasbeenat BascomElementary.LaBraethanksMrs. Morrisonforherexemplaryservicetoour Vikingsandwishesherahappyand healthyretirement!
Once A Viking, Always A Viking
Mrs. Jayne Morrison
Derek Wilson Named Franklin
B.
Walter All-Scholastic Award Recipient
Recently graduated and senior Honor Student Derek Wilson was recognized at the Trumbull County Schools Scholars Breakfast as Class of 2025 Valedictorian and a recipient of a $500 Franklin B. Walter All-Scholastic Award.
(Shown here with Superintendent A.J. Calderone, left, and High School Counselor Linda Nogales.)
Goodwill PSA Earns LaBrae Senior 3rd Place in WKBN Scholarship Race
Senior Ethan Magoulick, left. earned 3rd Runner Up in the annual WKBN Tom Holden Memorial Scholarship. Ethan wrote a Public Service Announcement for the Youngstown Area Goodwill Industries and entered this scholarship as part of an assignment in Speech class. This year, WKBN received 179 entries. Learn more HERE.
LaBrae Celebrates Literacy!
Author Julie Dinges, right, share her story with our students and families during the district’s Title 1 Literacy Night on Thursday, February 20 . The program, for students in grades K-5, also included a scavenger hunt. Each family received a free hardback copy of Julie’s book “The Search for Scepter.” th
LAW DAY
Place
as named F ontest for Grade 2. The contest is sponsored ssociation in celebration of Law Week across the ed with with $50 and a First Place Winner’s Luncheon on Thursday, May 1, 2025. This year’s e: Out of Many, One.”
Two LaBrae Students Inducted into National Technical Honor Society Inductions
Abigail Balzer and Lilly Briggs, shown here with senior member Gianna DeCost, were inducted into the National Technical Honor Society (NTHS) during an induction ceremony on May 12, 2025. NTHS is the honor society for Career & Technical Education (CTE). NTHS, a national non-profit student organization has been recognizing outstanding student achievement in CTE since 1984, having served more than 1.2 million members in its secondary and postsecondary chapters.
Sparks imagination and innovation among students
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Victory at Fairhaven
It was a win-win for the LaBrae boys/girls varsity basketball teams, cheerleaders and a few band members who traveled to Fairhaven on Thursday, February 13, 2025. Our student-athletes have been participating in this “inclusive” fun day for the past few years, playing an exhibition basketball game with Fairhaven students as cheerleaders and spectators from both schools rallied them on.
Spring Sports Standouts
Ravenna District Track Tournament Qualifiers
M tt M
Angel Scruggs Angel Scruggs
Caleigh Fortune Caleigh Fortune
District Track champions Matt Kujala, Discus, and Angel Scruggs, 100M Hurdles, qualified at the Ravenna District Track Tournament on Friday, May 26 for regionals. Angel also qualified for regionals in the 300m hurdles event.
Regional Qualifiers included Laylah Hayes, 100m and 200m dash, Caleigh Fortune, Khloe Kephart, Angel Scruggs and Laylah Hayes in the 4 x 400M & 4 x 100M, Kingston Brogdon, Shot Put, and Brayden Clark, 400m dash.
Lady Vikings Softball
2025 OHSAA Division V District Champions
LaBrae Baseball
2025 MVAC Gray Division Conference Champions
Congratulations, Coach! Congratulations,Coach!
Ed Anthony
MVAC Gray Division
Baseball Coach of the Year
Dwayne Buck
Division
A t h l e t i c T i c k e t P r i c e C h a n g e s
Due to increasing officiating costs, which are necessary to compete with other athletic leagues, and athletic costs in general, the Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference, of which LaBrae is a member, voted this spring to increase the cost of an adult ticket by $1 effective with the 2025-2026 school year. There is no change to the student ticket price. The new adult ticket price for a high school sports event is $8, and the new adult price for a junior high/middle school event is $6.
N e w L a B r a e S e n i o r C i t i z e n P a s s
Beginning with the coming school year, LaBrae will now offer a free senior citizen athletic pass good for the entire school year, to all senior citizens residing in the LaBrae community. Resident senior citizens, who are age 65 or older, will be able to sign up for a free athletic pass on the LaBrae website by the end of July and will be able to pick up their pass at the athletic office in August. Seniors will be asked to provide proof of residence via an Ohio Driver’s License or a state ID LaBrae will still offer the Red Card for sale for those who don’t qualify for a free senior athletic pass
Look for details at https://labraeschool in the near future
MVAC Gray
Softball Coach of the Year
L a B r a e P a y s B o n d D e b t I n F u l l
Replacement Permanent Improvement Millage Reduced
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 began with the winter tax collection in February of 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 Last fall, the Board voted to reduce the millage from 3 mills to 2 75 mills As result, voters in 2025 are experiencing little to no change in property taxes associated with LaBrae when factoring the expiration of the bond, and the accompanying half-mill maintenance levy, coupled with the reduction in millage on the permanent improvement levy
LaBrae Band Shell Update
LaBrae Local Schools has contracted with winning bidder Brock Builders to construct the band shell at the football field.
The original intent was to construct the shell prior to LaBrae’s band night, which is August 12 . However, steel market price fluctuations and general economic conditions forced the district to go out to bid a second time, which significantly delayed the process, and subsequently, the construction timeline. th
As it stands now, construction is expected to begin in late August to early September, and the construction will likely take six to eight weeks from start to finish.
The Northeast Region of the Ohio School Boards Asssociation, honored LaBrae Board Of Education member, Tim Gibson, who also serves as the LaBrae Schools representative on the TCTC board, for his 20 years of service as a board member. Mr. Gibson was recognized at the OSBA NE Spring Conference on March 31 . st
2025 LaBrae Board of Education
Mr. Russell Sewell, Email: rusty.sewell@labrae.school
Mrs. Karen Ancell Email: karen.ancell@labrae.school
Mr. Bradley Gamlin Email: bradley.gamlin@labrae.school
Mr. Tim Gibson, Email: tim.gibson@labrae.school
Mrs. Julia Shutt Email: julia.shutt@labrae.school
Board Meetings
LaBrae Board of Education meetings are scheduled for the second Monday of each month. The meeting schedule can be found on the LaBrae website. The July and August meetings will be held in the Auditorium. Meetings typically start at 6:00 p.m.
H A V E A
S A F E & H E A L T H Y
S U M M E R !
