School is back: See what's new in Stark County schools as students head back to class

Students returned to Stark County area schools last week and more will head back to classrooms this week.

The Repository reached out to leaders at the area's public districts to see what changes the new school year will bring. Here’s what students can expect when they return to the districts that responded to our inquiry:

Alliance City Schools

Career Development: The district is putting a focus on career education and workforce development. This includes continuing to strengthen career tech classes and incorporating the soft skills employers are looking for, hosting career cafes at the middle school and high school to introduce students to new career paths and continuing to utilize You Science, which measures interests as well as aptitude when it comes to career paths.

Facility updates: Work was completed last school year on the turf fields, including the Rockhill soccer field and Alliance High baseball and softball fields. A turf football field and new track being built at Alliance Middle School are expected to be completed this fall. The district also made renovations and added more bays to the bus garage to allow for more space for transportation staff.

Early Childhood Education: The district also is focusing on early childhood education by relocating the preschool program, Alliance Preschool, from Alliance Early Learning School to the former Parkway Learning & Development Center. There's more room for activities, including family-oriented events.

Canton City Schools

New construction: With the passage of a bond issue, the district is planning for a new phase of learning. The Bulldog Performance Center on the downtown campus is under construction and slated to open next August. Construction is underway on a multi-purpose addition and new restrooms at STEAMM Academy.

Telehealth medicine: A new partnership with the Aultman Health Foundation will allow students and staff in five schools to get clinical assessments during regular school hours. They can meet with a doctor remotely to diagnose and treat several ailments, including colds, cough, rash, migraines, respiratory issues and earaches.

Free online tutoring: Students can get a little extra help from TutorMe, online tutoring while they are in study halls or at home. The company provides free one-to-one mentoring at all grade levels 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Fairless Local Schools

New school: High school students are enjoying a new state-of-the-art facility. At more than 130,000 square feet, the building includes a fine and performing arts center, two gyms, flexible learning spaces and new restrooms/concessions for Brideweser Stadium.

Strategic plan: A committee of 45 community members, parents, staff, students, and Board of Education members collaborated to develop a new strategic plan to achieving goals in academics, school culture, communication and use of resources. The work to implement the plan begins with an everyday focus to meet the district's vision: Fairless is the community where families want to learn, live, work and grow.

Chris Belloni Wall of Excellence: All district athletic, academic, arts, yearbooks, military tributes, history, and Hall of Honor records have been digitized into the Chris Belloni Wall of Excellence, which was donated by the Fairless Alumni Association and installed in the new high school. The kiosk is a 65-inch interactive touchscreen panel that is also accessible via the internet through the district website.

ParentSquare: The district has launched a new platform, ParentSquare, to connect and communicate with parents. It gives parents and staff safe email and messaging capabilities, the ability to RSVP for events, and the ability to electronically sign permission slips and send absence notes.

Jackson Local Schools

New courses: The district is offering a variety of new classes, including digital, mathematical modeling and reasoning, and AP precalculus.

Transportation Center: The new bus garage is under construction and on track to open at the start of next school year. The more than $5 million building is being constructed on fields south of Caritas Circle NW behind Neizelt Stadium on the high school campus. District officials said fiscal responsibility has allowed them to complete the project without additional tax money.

Massillon City Schools

New ELA Curriculum: All students will experience a new English language arts program this school year. Teachers and administrators participated in ongoing professional development and training to ensure support all learners.

Construction projects: Work on two new elementary schools is underway, putting the district in position to move into the future with a campus-style delivery model. The east side campus will include the new east side elementary school for pre-K to third grade, as well as the high school. The west side campus is home to the Massillon Middle School facility and the new west side pre-K to third grade building.

Washington High has a newly renovated front plaza that includes outdoor learning spaces with seating and a giant Massillon sign. Upgrades to the HVAC system at the high school also were completed.

Administrative changes: Maria Smith is head principal at Massillon Intermediate School and AJ Vennetti assistant principal; Tony Carr will continue to serve as the head principal at Massillon Junior High School and Tiffany Fichter moves to assistant principal; Dan Metzgar will serve as the elementary dean of students.

North Canton City Schools

New schools: The new North Canton Primary School, 200 Charlotte St. NW, and North Canton Intermediate School, 150 Clearmount Ave. SE, will welcome students for the first time. The $58 million project consolidates five buildings into two schools. The Mary L. Evans Early Childhood Center, Clearmount Elementary and Northwood Elementary have been consolidated into a primary school for students in preschool through second grade. Greentown Intermediate and Orchard Hill Intermediate were merged into an intermediate building for students in third, fourth and fifth grades.

Stadium renovations: Extensive renovations to the home bleachers at Memorial Stadium were completed.

Osnaburg Local Schools

Health and Wellness Field House: The district raised $2.43 million from 52 private donors, businesses, foundations and grants to support the construction of a health and wellness field house. The 9,300-square-foot facility at 310 Browning St. will be known as the Foltz Fieldhouse. It is expected to be completed in early November. The complex will include a 4,000-square-foot sports performance space with an indoor artificial turf that stretches the length of the building.

New curriculum: The district has invested in new curriculum, including elementary math, high school American history, high school STEM-advanced drone curriculum/programming and K-12 band and music.

Perry Local Schools

New construction: At the new Watson Elementary School, roofing will be installed on the gymnasium, kitchen, and dining room this month. Masonry work will continue on the education wing with second-floor steel being installed in August.

The floors for the second-floor classroom wing at the new Southway school have been poured and the masonry wall will continue to roof height with classroom roof steel to be installed in August. Roof work is set to begin next month.

At the third school, Lohr, the second floor is poured and roof steel will be installed this month followed by roofing work. Masonry will continue on the kitchen, dining, and gymnasium through August with roof steel and roofing starting in September.

New athletic administrator: The district welcomed Kevin Yoder as its next director of athletics. Yoder, who spent the past two years as assistant principal and director of athletics at Coshocton, was approved for the job by the Board of Education on April 20.

Plain Local Schools

Summer feeding and learning: Plain had 10 feeding sites throughout the community this summer. The district served 25,475 meals. A full summer school program in June and July served over 900 students. Plain also partnered with the YMCA to host a summer camp at GlenOak High.

Sandy Valley Local Schools

New principal: Alivia Stamp is the new high school principal. She has had administrative experience at Canton City Schools and experience teaching as an intervention specialist.

Telehealth services: The district has partnered with Aultman to provide telehealth services to students. Parents, with the assistance of school nurses, will be able to connect for medical services without taking their child out of school. Sandy Valley will be utilizing grant funding received through the Ohio Department of Education to provide this resource.

Sebring Local Schools

Upgrades: Several upgrades have taken place, including the installation of a new telephone system, a security camera upgrade and the purchase of Raptor Emergency Management, which includes a drill manager, panic button and re-unification feature.

New classes: Several new classes have been added to the district curriculum, including a class where students can earn an industry-recognized credential in drones. Other new classes include technology, cultures and cuisine, jazz band and musical theater.

Tuslaw Local Schools

New program: Tuslaw High is implementing an agricultural business course in conjunction with R.G. Drage. Two classrooms have been remodeled to create a classroom and lab setting. Teacher Leah Allen will lead the class.

Remodeled classrooms: Rooms that formerly housed family consumer science in both the middle school and high school buildings have been repurposed. The middle school room is now a modernized art room, and the high school room has been remodeled as a stem lab.

Busing: All district buses have been equipped with new digital radios for enhanced communication between the transportation supervisor, bus garage and drivers.

Reach Amy at 330-775-1135 or amy.knapp@indeonline.com.

This article originally appeared on The Independent: What's new in area schools as they head back to classroom?