District

Wooster Writers Recognized for Outstanding Achievements

 

The 7th and 8th grade WCS Power of the Pen (POP) Teams competed on February 25th at the Kent State Regional Writing Tournament.

 

Thirty-two (32) schools competed with writing teams made up of only students who qualified from each district tournament, battling for an opportunity to advance to the State Tournament in May. 

 

Wooster City Schools has a combined 7th and 8th grade team from two schools.  The eighth grade team from Wooster High School consisted of three qualifiers:  April Lee, Madison Beckham, and Molly Watson.  The seventh grade team from Edgewood Middle School consisted of four qualifiers and one runner: Alice Greenwald, Lucy Dodd, Maru Yang, Claire Jeon, and Willow Fetty.

 

8th grader, April Lee, finished 11th place overall.  April as well as Madison will advance to the State Tournament in May. 

 

8th grade coach Chelsey Porter said, "We are incredibly proud of our students' continued achievement in creative writing and look forward to seeing their work at the State Tournament."

 

Two 7th graders received individual honors: Maru Yang finished second place overall, and Claire Jeon finished 4th place overall.  Maru and Claire will advance to the State Tournament in May.

 

7th grade coach Mike Sexton said, "We are fortunate to have an amazing community of writers.  On a regular basis, our young writers spend time working on their craft, encouraging one another, and providing feedback to one another.  We are thankful that they have the opportunity to showcase the results."

 

IB Message

The following message was posted by the TriCounty ESC regarding the future of the International Baccalaureate Program that is housed at Wooster High School.
 
 
Superintendents in the Tri-County area recently met and discussed the long-term outlook of the Tri-County International Baccalaureate Academy. IB has been a respected program, offering educational options for students when few others existed over fifteen years ago. However, in recent years interest and enrollment in the IB program has dwindled, as other educational programming options have expanded.  This decrease in enrollment has fundamentally impacted the IB program. As a result, superintendents in the Tri-County area have reached the difficult decision to not enroll new students in this program for the upcoming school year.  Current Juniors enrolled in the Tri-County International Baccalaureate Academy will be supported through their senior year (school year 2023-24). 
 
 
WCS Families,
 
The IB program has been a great option for students and I thank everyone who has been a part of the effort to provide this program for Wooster and the surrounding communities.  Wooster is disappointed that the IB program is ending but understands and supports the decision due to the continued decrease in enrollment.  Wooster will utilize the teacher resources that are now available due to the closure of the IB program to offer additional courses and experiences for our students.  
 
Gabe Tudor,
Superintendent
 

 

Hänsel and Gretel

Thank you to the Noble Foundation for bringing Ballet Excel Ohio to WCS.  

Ballet Excel Performs for WCS Students

 

 

Thank you to The Noble Foundation for the generous support of arts exploration for our students.  The Foundation worked with our WCS Curriculum Department to support a visit from Ballet Excel Ohio. Our students grades 2-5, and secondary students interested in the Fine Arts were given the opportunity to view a live ballet performance of Hänsel and Gretel at our WHS Performing Arts Center. Mr. Dave Noble of The Noble Foundation shared that the positive and lasting impact that ballet has had on his own daughter’s life inspired the generous donation of this experience to Wooster City School Students.   

BOE Approves 6.7 Mill Bond Issue for May 2, 2023 ballot

At their December 20, 2022, meeting, the Wooster City School District Board of Education approved the placement of a 6.7 mill bond issue on the May 2, 2023 ballot. If passed, the bond will be used to fund the construction of a new middle school and elementary school as outlined in Phase 1 of the Wooster City School District Facilities Master Plan. 

The total cost of this bond issue is $102,086,000 and would cost homeowners approximately $19.60 per month per $100,000 of home value. However, the total net cost to homeowners would be less based on the district’s decision not to pursue renewal of a 1.1 mill permanent improvement levy that will expire at the end of December 2022.

The Facilities Master Plan, approved by the Board of Education in June 2022, calls for addressing the district’s facility needs in two phases. Phase 1 includes the construction of a new 6th-8th grade middle school and an athletic stadium with a track serving 6th-8th grade sports. A new K-2nd grade elementary school on the site of Cornerstone Elementary will also be constructed, with the intention of incorporating elements of historical significance from the current building into the new school. Phase 2, which is not included in this bond issue, calls for the construction of a new 3rd-5th grade elementary school and further renovation of Wooster High School.

“The facilities master plan was developed through collaborative efforts, including extensive community engagement and partnership with the state to meet the needs of our growing district,” said Wooster City Schools Superintendent Gabe Tudor. “As always, we seek to improve our school facilities in the most economical manner possible by using outside funds when available.”

In March of 2022, the board approved a resolution to partner with the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission (OFCC) to receive a funding credit through the Expedited Local

Partnership Program (ELPP) that would be applied to the cost of phase two construction. As part of the OFCC's ELPP, the district will be eligible to receive a reimbursement of 33% of the cost of the new middle school and elementary school that could be used toward a new 3rd-5th grade intermediate school in the second phase of the project or offset the cost of this project. In addition, Federal ESSER Fund monies will be used to renovate the Edgewood Middle School HVAC system and add air conditioning. 

“Many factors went into creating the Facilities Master Plan, including current building size and capacity, future enrollment projections, ease of student transitions between buildings and cost-effectiveness,” said Tudor. “With these building improvements, the district will have the ability to provide consistent instructional collaboration at all grade levels and be prepared to provide students with an excellent education rooted in 21st-century learning for years to come.” 

For more information regarding the Wooster City School District, please visit www.woostercityschools.org.
 

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