What's the Buzz?
Summer 2024
Dear parents and community members,
As many of you know, back in February I announced that the district would be moving forward with plans to place a bond issue on the November 2024 ballot to fund the construction of a new Monroe High School. It is anticipated that the board will act on this recommendation on Monday, June 24, 2024 at its regular meeting.
The district has been dealing with overcapacity issues in our school buildings for many years due to significant enrollment growth since the main campus opened. Districtwide enrollment has nearly doubled since our main campus was completed, from 1,515 students in 2004 to more than 2,900 students today. Monroe’s main campus on Yankee Road, originally designed for 1,955 students K-12, currently houses more than 2,400 students grades 2-12. It is critical that we address this challenge to provide the best possible learning environment for all of our students.
In the spring, Monroe Local Schools was notified by the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission (OFCC) that we have the opportunity to partner with the state for the construction of a new school building. In simple terms, our community has an opportunity to vote on a bond issue that, upon passage, combines local funds with more than $25 million in state funding to build a new high school.
When the current main campus bond (3.50 mills) is paid off in 2029, collection of the new bond (3.49 mills) will begin. This means that taxpayers will actually see a slight net decrease in taxes.
The 2024-25 Monroe Local School District Calendar is available at monroelocalschools.com/resources/calendars/.
Please print or download the calendar to view information regarding staggered start as well as other important dates throughout next school year.
Hello! I am so excited and proud to be the treasurer/CFO of Monroe Local Schools. As we prepare to plan for more space for our students, I’d like to take a moment to compliment the journey the district has made over the last several years.
It has been a decade since the district emerged from fiscal emergency in 2014. During that time, considerable adjustments were made to keep operations running. We are no longer in fiscal emergency and this is evidenced by a strong five-year forecast and a recent improvement on our credit rating of AA- with a positive outlook. A credit rating is similar to a credit score and we are in the second highest tier of the current 12-tier scale. We have been able to add staffing, new educational materials and technology, and some much-needed facilities maintenance. By being fiscally responsible and through changes in the state funding formula, we have accomplished all of this without any new operating levies since November of 2016.
As we prepare for a bond issue on the November 2024 ballot, let’s discuss property bond levies.
A bond issue levy is strictly for construction, renovation of buildings, purchase of land, and may also include capital equipment and other capital uses. These cannot be used for operating expenses. The tax collected on a bond issue is used to pay the related debt and is based on the repayment schedule.
Our current building debt will be paid off in 2029 which creates a unique opportunity for a new building to be built with minimal changes to the tax rates. The district is dedicated to designing a funding plan that not only addresses our overcapacity issues at the district level, but also minimizes the amount of new taxes for the community.
As we navigate this process, more information will be communicated. Project information including FAQs may be found on the district's Facilities Master Planning webpage.
Thank you for entrusting us with your taxpayer dollars.
- Amy Moore
After exchanging letters, drawings, pictures, valentines and updates with each other all school year, seniors in Mrs. Wolf’s CCP anatomy and physiology class made special arrangements to meet their pen pals in Miss Siewny’s kindergarten class in person just two days before graduation.
Seniors arrived to find their kindergarten pen pals holding signs with their names on them and special graduation caps they had made just for them. They then returned the favor with matching friendship bracelets and popsicles, but what they really exchanged with one another was something much more special.
Graduation highlights (video)
Chicks dig Mrs. Helton's class! (video)
The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce recently announced that Monroe Primary and Junior High Schools were two of 171 Ohio schools to receive Purple Star designations as members of the Purple Star Class of 2024. Ninety-seven Ohio schools received the esteemed award for the first time and 74 schools earned a renewal after three years as dedicated Purple Star Schools.
Purple Star Schools show a major commitment to supporting the unique educational and social-emotional needs of military-connected children and their families. These schools recognize that military-connected students must move whenever their active-duty parent receives a relocation order and will change schools far more often than their civilian peers.
“Frequent moves, family separations through deployments, and reintegration issues make life especially challenging for military families,” said Monroe Local Schools Purple Star Liaison and Attendance Officer Kelley Dudleson. “Our goal is to help military-connected students feel at home and well supported. I personally understand these challenges because I am part of a military family too.”
According to the Military Child Education Coalition, a military-connected child can expect to move six to nine times during the span of their K-12 educational career, with approximately 200,000 students transitioning to a new school in any given year.
In order to receive the Purple Star designation, a school must demonstrate its commitment to serving military students and families through a series of required and optional activities identified by Ohio’s Purple Star Advisory Board, including:
- The school must have a staff point of contact for military students and families who serves as the primary liaison between them and the school.
- The liaison completes professional development on special considerations for military students and families under federal law.
- The liaison identifies and informs teachers of the military-connected students in their classrooms and the special considerations military families and students should receive.
- The school maintains a dedicated page on its website featuring resources for military families.
“Ohio is a leader in its support to military families and the Purple Star program is a wonderful example of how this support extends to children in our schools,” said Governor DeWine. “I applaud Ohio’s Purple Star schools and thank them for supporting military-connected students and ensuring they have the services and learning resources to succeed.”
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