CASSTOWN — The Miami East Local School District is honoring graduates who serve in the armed forces with a new scrolling sign on the high school building.
“The high school staff, and specifically Mr. Gentis, have done a great job of getting our military scroll on the back of the building,” district Superintendent Dr. Todd Rappold said. “We’re excited to have that up.”
The sign will display a scrolling tribute to honor all Miami East Local School District graduates who have or are currently serving in the United States Armed Forces.
The district is also planning to bring back the annual Veterans Day breakfast, which will be held on Friday, Nov. 11, 2022.
“I’m happy to report that we’re going to re-institute our Veterans Day breakfast this year,” Rappold said. “We’re trying to get some things back in place that the last two or three years have kind of slipped by us.”
“We’re looking forward to a great Veterans Day breakfast,” he said.
Board members discussed the tribute and the Veterans Day breakfast during their regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, Sept. 19, 2022. In other business, board members also voted to approve the district’s senior class trip to New York City April 19 through 22, 2023, and discussed the district’s application for a special safety grant through the Ohio School Facilities Commission.
“The district is putting the finishing touches on our safety grant application that we will be submitting either late this week or early next week,” Rappold said. “It will total well over $100,000.”
“We’re excited about that,” he said. “It’s a competitive grant process, so we’re not guaranteed. We probably will not hear whether we received the $100,000 grant until sometime in late October.”
The grant would help cover the cost of hardware and other school safety items.
“It’s got to be hardware items,” Rappold said.
Board members also discussed the state’s recently released school district report cards.
“Last week the state sent out their report cards,” Rappold said. “I’m very pleased to report to our students , staff and parents, we had the highest scores in the county.”
“Cleveland.com took all 602 districts across the state of Ohio and ranked them,” he said. “Miami East was number 32 out of 602 districts.”
“The last two and a half years have been a challenge,” Rappold said. “Our staff, students, parents and our community as a whole have risen to that challenge, and far exceeded anyone’s expectations.”
“With the report card, sometimes it looks like it’s just all academic,” Board Vice-President John Demmitt said. “You have to look at the entire team; literally, from custodians and food service to transportation, it’s making an environment where students are comfortable, and to have a certified staff that provides instruction.”
“It takes parents, it takes residents still chipping in,” Rappold said. “It is a team effort across the board.”
Board members’ next regularly scheduled meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 17. Meetings are held in the lecture hall, room 116 at Miami East High School.
The writer is a regular contributor to Miami Valley Today.
