South-Western City Schools leaders look to build on successes on multiple fronts
The South-Western City School District will open its new school year beginning Aug. 24, riding the crest of what Superintendent Bill Wise said is unparalleled academic achievement for the district.
The goal is to build upon what was achieved last year, he said.
"The bottom line is that our students are achieving more and are moving forward academically more," Wise said.
The district has initiatives and programs in place designed to offer students the support they need throughout their time in South-Western schools, from kindergarten through graduation, he said.
"Our early literacy focus is helpful," Wise said. "Emphasizing reading and writing in the early grades will help students as they make their way through school as they get older in every class, including math and science."
The dividends were reflected last school year, when South-Western achieved an 88.4% graduation rate, it's highest ever, he said.
Students in the class of 2022 earned 6,396 college credits while still in high school, Wise said.
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"All the research shows that when students are able to begin earning college credits while they are still in high school or take more rigorous subjects, it helps lead to more success in college, he said.
Twelve South-Western students graduated last spring with an associate degree and a high school diploma at the same time, Wise said.
"We expect to see that number grow this year," he said. "We hope to get the number up to 48 or 50 students over the next few years."
The district's Accelerated Learning Center program will continue to expand this year and offers students a two- or three-year pathway to an associate degree, Wise said.
The courses that are offered are taught through a partnership with Columbus State Community College and transfer to any public and most private higher-education institutions in the state, he said.
The 557 students in South-Western Career Academy's class of 2022, earned 1,462 industry credentials, he said.
In the middle grade level, the district is continuing to focus on writing across all of the content areas, he said.
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"We believe that additional opportunities to write and think more deeply in synthesizing our content will lift academic achievement across all areas," Wise said.
South-Western is continuing its effort to strengthen its phonics instruction at the elementary school level, he said.
The district's participation in Columbia University's Teachers College Reading and Writing Project is expanding to seven local schools for 2022-23, Wise said.
Teachers at Finland, Highland Park, Richard Avenue and Stiles elementary schools, Franklin Woods Intermediate School and Finland and Pleasant View middle schools can participate in professional development programs offered through Columbia that help them better identify students who need assistance in reading and find ways to tailor instruction and guidance to benefit each student individually, he said.
"We've seen great success through this program, and we want to continue to expand it to additional schools," Wise said.
South-Western is one of only about 200 districts throughout the nation that participate in the teacher's college program, he said.
The district is opening four new replacement middle school buildings at Beulah Park (replacing the old Brookpark Middle School site), Finland, Norton and Pleasant View. The new buildings and improvements at Jackson Middle School were part of the second phase of South-Western's Ohio Facilities Construction Commission project.
A number of other improvements projects, including HVAC upgrades at Central Crossing High School and the career academy; stage and lighting improvements in the theaters at all four high schools; recreation center HVAC and roof replacements at Westland, Franklin Heights and Grove City high schools; and miscellaneous roofing and sidewalk repairs or replacements were completed over the summer or are scheduled for completion during the school year.
Enhancing and improving the buildings and facilities provide an atmosphere more conducive for students to learn, Wise said.
All told, the district is spending about $37 million this summer and during the school year on improvement projects, treasurer Hugh Garside said.
Many of the projects are being paid for with a portion of the $61 million in Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds earmarked for South-Western, he said.
The rest of the projects are being paid with money from the district's permanent-improvement fund, Garside said.
The financial forecast for the district Garside presented in May has not changed.
"We're going to continue to be in the black," he said, despite inflation and disruptions in supply chains. "We've been prudent to make sure we maintain a true three- to six-month cash reserve for emergencies, and having that on hand has helped carry us through this period."
The district has also launched a redesign of its website, said Evan Debo, the district's executive director of communications. The redesign was done to give parents and community members easier and more user-friendly access to information, announcements and data from the district, he said.
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This article originally appeared on ThisWeek: South-Western City School District 2022-23 school year starts Aug. 24
