Our Kids Are Getting Better All The Time

 This week, the subject of this article will sway a little away from the building improvements a bit and focus on some good things that have been happening academically here in the Greenville City Schools.

Greenville Schools offers its students rigorous academic programming.  As a result, the district earned an Excellent rating from the Ohio Department of Education for the 2010-11 school years.   The hard work of students and staff has resulted in many success stories.  The Greenville High School AP Calculus students earned outstanding scores on the AP test they took in May.  With the instruction and guidance of GHS Math teacher, Mr. Bob Batty, 33 of 38 students who took the AP Calculus test passed, for an 87.9% passage rate.  This is the most students we have had attempt the AP Calculus test in several years and our GHS students more than exceeded the national average passage rate.  Five is the highest score a student can earn on the test, and 39.4% of our students earned a 5, with the national average being 21% of students earning a 5.  One third of our students earned a 4 on the test, with the national average being 16.4%. A passing score of 3 or higher can equate to college credit (usually 4 to 8 credit hours).

Next, the Greenville High School Computer Information Systems (CIS) program continues to provide compelling learning opportunities to students this school year.  While providing computer technical support in our schools is part of the CIS program, our district provides four unique paid internships to four CIS students under the direction and supervision of CIS teachers, Mr. Nathan Sharp and Mr. Robert Warner.  All CIS students have the opportunity to apply for an internship position, and following a thorough interview process conducted by Mr. Jon McGreevey, our district hired these students to perform computer technical work throughout the district for up to 10 hours per week.  These tech interns have set up computer labs, formatted computers, installed software, and installed new network cables just to name a few jobs.  They were also able to take part in SmartBoard training with staff members before school started.  Since then, they have been able to go to the classrooms and help teachers with the new SmartBoard technology that was installed in the Middle and Junior High Schools.   During the first teacher workday, a student intern was on hand at each of the buildings to provide another level of support for any staff member experiencing technology problems.  This real-world/hands-on experience was unique enough to get the attention of the Ohio School Boards Association (OSBA) as the CIS student internship program has been selected to participate in the 2011 Student Achievement Fair at the OSBA annual conference in November.

In addition to the CIS student internship program, students from our Greenville High School Engineering program also received the honor of being selected to participate in the Student Achievement Fair at the Ohio School Board Association annual conference in Columbus.  They will present their Gravitational Water Vortex Engineering project.  The GWVPP (Gravitational Water Vortex Power Plant) is a horizontal cousin of the hydroelectric dam. The benefits of using an artificially induced vortex above gravity- accelerated water both increase efficiency, decrease cost, and not only lower the negative impact on the environment, but actually increase the sustainability and health of the river as a whole. The ingenious invention was designed and developed by Franz Zotlöterer, an Austrian engineer, who saw the advantage of using this natural process.

            For the Engineering 12 class at Greenville High School, President Parker Cameron and teammates, Austin Lowder and Sam Jones, have chosen this topic as their capstone project. With instructor, Christopher Sykes, these students will prepare a written report, portfolio, a functioning model, time records, and a presentation to be used for various events. What makes this project different from previous projects is its ability to go further than the class itself. A potential goal for the student’s project is to inspire the state of Ohio, with many others following, to actually construct this potential alternative energy source.

            These students and instructors represent only a few of the outstanding programs that exist in Greenville Schools.  The goal of preparing our young people with viable 21^st century tools for success is an academic programming priority that is being achieved.

The New School Project - What it's all about.

The Project

• A new, fully furnished facility centrally located to educate students in grades K-8 along with High School Renovations.
• An environmentally friendly and efficient building utilizing the benefits of "green technology”
• A building in which security features provide a safe environment for students and staff.
• New classrooms providing up-to-date technology, science labs, and flexible learning spaces to enhance the instructional environment.
• A building providing the space and accessibility to meet the needs of our handicapped population.
• Renovations to the existing high school to create enhanced operational and educational opportunities.

The Rationale


The Ohio Schools Facilities Commission (OSFC) advised the district that aging buildings would cost more to renovate than to replace and OSFC would provide co-funding accordingly.

• The consolidation of Woodland, East, South, and the Junior High would allow operational cost reductions contrasting the current building configuration.
• The State's financial commitment to GSD's for the project is $18,192,750.
• Interest rates are at an all time low.

The Cost For Taxpayer:

• 6.43 Mills for 28 years and 1/4% School District Income Tax
• Passage of levy would eliminate a 2-mill permanent improvement levy enacted in 1989
• $ 100,000 home = $173.25 per year or $14.42 per month (taxpayer 64 years old and younger living in the home)
• $ 100,000 home = $129.93 per year or $10.83 per month (taxpayer 65  years and older living in the home)
• $ 25,000 income = $63.00 annually ($50 Senior Credit)

For information on figuring your tax burden go here: www.darkecountyrealestate.org/TaxEstimator/

If approved, the new school will be built on land that the school system already owns on North Ohio St.  The property is directly across from the Rest Haven Nursing Homes.  All infrastructure improvements such as water, sewer, street extensions and paving are included in the project.

The last new school built in the Greenville School District is the current High School. It will be 50 years old in 2013. There is money in the Ohio School Facilities Commission grant to refurbish the high school. It seemed that this was the most prudent course of action to take at this time. The current cost for operation of our current buildings is around $1.70 per square foot. New schools similar to ours are operating for less than half of that. So we go from four inefficient schools to one very efficient school and our operating levy lasts that much longer.