Anthony Wayne Local SchoolsCentral Administration Office
9565 Bucher Road, Whitehouse, Ohio 43571
Phone: 419-877-5377
www.anthonywayneschools.org
June 29, 2022
Dear Anthony Wayne Local Schools Families,
I hope this letter finds you enjoying your summer vacation. Our District has been buzzing with summer learning, practices, competitions, facilities improvements, professional training and planning for the future.
With all of this activity happening across our District, I wanted to share with you several updates and announcements. Below you will find action items from today’s Board of Education meeting and other important information to help you prepare for the 2022-23 school year. If you have any questions, please contact the Central Administrative Office at 419-877-5377, as our school offices are closed for the month of July.
Please remember the week of July 4-8, 2022 is designated as Family Week by Anthony Wayne Local Schools. This means there will be no school related events, activities or practices. We encourage you to use this time to enjoy the holiday, rest and reconnect with your loved ones.
Thank you for your continued partnership and support,
Dr. Jim Fritz, Superintendent
Anthony Wayne Local Schools
New Board Member Appointed
The Anthony Wayne Board of Education today appointed Mr. Troy Lutz to serve the remaining term for Mr. Andrew Prine. Mr. Prine resigned his position on June 18, 2022 due to relocation to another state. Mr. Lutz will hold the position until the next board election in 2023, when he may choose to run for any open seat. You may remember that in the fall 2021 election Mr. Lutz and Mr. Prine were tied and the position was determined by a coin flip.
Renewal Levy
The Anthony Wayne Board of Education approved placing a Renewal $3 million Emergency Operating Levy on the November 8, 2022 ballot. This is not a new tax, it is a renewal of an existing levy that was first passed in 2002. The levy generates $3 million annually for the District and is used to fund the day-to-day operations of our schools including, but not limited to: student learning, classroom materials, transportation, utilities, building maintenance and staff salaries and benefits.
District Calendar Updates
The Board of Education approved the following calendar changes. Please make note as you plan for the 2022-23 school year. A revised District Calendar is available on the website and attached to this message for your reference.
The reserved Board Meeting date of July 7, 2022 has been canceled due to a lack of business.
A 2-Hour Delay for Staff Professional Development was added on Wednesday, October 12, 2022.
The Board meeting originally scheduled for November 14 has been rescheduled to November 7, 2022.
State Testing Assessment Preliminary Results
Preliminary results from the 2021-22 Ohio state assessments are in. I am pleased to share that while these early numbers are down slightly from where we usually score, they are much higher than anticipated considering the disruptions experienced as a result of the pandemic. Watch for more details when we receive the more comprehensive report in the fall. We will continue to offer increased instructional supports for students as we move through this season of post-pandemic recovery.
Personnel Update
I am excited to share with you Anthony Wayne Junior High Principal, Dr. Brad Contact has accepted the position of Human Resources Director. He will serve the District by helping to ensure we continue to hire the best possible individuals for our team, and supporting our efforts to provide outstanding learning experiences for all students and staff. Current AWJH Assistant Principal, Jordan LeFevre will move into the AWJH Principal position, with current Dean of Students Lori Williams becoming the AWJH Assistant Principal. These administrators will work together over the summer to prepare for beginning their new roles on August 1.
School Safety
School safety is a topic of concern in our country, and one that Anthony Wayne Local Schools takes very seriously. The attached letter shares some of the ways the District continues to provide physically secure and emotionally safe environments, including the addition of a second School Resource Officer at Campus, a second full-time Counselor for AWJH and a district-wide Social Worker starting with the 2022-23 school year.
Strategic Planning
The District continues to engage stakeholders in the Strategic Planning process. Draft mission and vision statements, core beliefs and goals were drafted at a meeting in the spring, with approximately 60 individuals in attendance. We are currently working with these individuals to identify the steps the District should take to meet the suggested goals. We anticipate a final draft will be presented to the Board of Education for review in August. More information about this process can be found on the district website at www.anthonywayneschools.org/StrategicPlanning
Facilities Master Planning
Starting next week, the District will work with The Collaborative, a local architectural and facility master planning firm to review our facilities needs to ensure our buildings and properties will meet the needs of our students into the future. As a part of this process, their team will conduct walkthroughs, review community data, complete a facilities assessment and develop a facilities master plan. Updates will be shared as we move through this process and more information is available at www.anthonywayneschools.org/FacilitiesMasterPlanning
Back to School 2022
The first day of school for students is Thursday, August 18, 2022. Be on the lookout for communications from your school as we get closer to returning to class. In the meantime, open house dates, registration information, school supply lists and more are available on our new Back to School webpage at www.anthonywayneschools.org/BacktoSchool.