If you didn’t have a chance to attend our graduation ceremonies, you can take a quick look back at all the fun and excitement.
Author: Stacie Raterman
COA Admin
Congratulations to all the 2022 local graduates! It’s been a challenging year, but our community is proud of what you have accomplished! As a group of young adults moves on and another school year draws to a close, I wanted to share some of the wonderful opportunities that Hilliard City Schools has to offer our students. Our district provides several pathways to setting students up for success beyond high school.
Our Innovation Learning Campus (ILC) offers several inventive options for personalized learning. For example, the ILC offers courses in healthcare, business, and education, just to name a few. Additionally, the district coordinates a robust professional mentorship program where students learn with industry professionals. This program usually results in over 50 hours of hands-on learning in a field of the student’s choice.
The district offers an early college option through its College JumpStart program, allowing students to earn up to 24 credit hours via Columbus State Community College, free of charge! In addition, several other classes throughout the district have College Credit Plus (CCP) credits embedded into their curriculum. It’s very common for our graduates to continue into college and graduate early with tremendous financial savings due to the vast CCP options that we provide within Hilliard City Schools (HCS).
HCS also works in partnership with Tolles Career & Technical Center. Tolles offers multiple professional training pathways. Nursing, firefighting, construction technology, information technology, and cosmetology are just a few. Tolles continues to expand their options to meet the needs of the 21st-century workplace. Tolles also offers three satellite programs within our high schools and Innovation Learning Campus.
Additionally, HCS has joined forces with local businesses to provide internship, pre-apprenticeship, and mentorship experiences that allow students to be set up with high-level jobs right after high school. Worthington Industries, Amazon Web Services, and Eco Plumbers are just a few companies that we have partnered with to offer these opportunities.
I hope the students and parents in our district explore the unique learning opportunities our district offers. The future of work is evolving, and our district is working to grow with it to provide our students with the best options to be Ready for Tomorrow.
Zach Vorst is a member of the Hilliard City Schools Board of Education.
The Hilliard City Schools Department of Wellness is proud to host Chelsea Merriman Tobias, LISW-S from Eating and Behavioral Health Associates, for a Parent University Program. Chelsea, a Hilliard Schools graduate, will lead a conversation about eating disorders and related behaviors for adults who are supporting children struggling with disordered eating. Chelsea is an independently licensed clinical social worker who specializes in working with children, teens, and young adults who struggle with issues related to food, body image, anxiety, depression, and trauma.
This event will be held in the Media Center at Heritage Middle School on April 20 at 7:00 pm. Please reach out to Alex_Beekman@hboe.org with questions.
All students interested in taking college classes next school year should attend a College Credit Plus informational meeting at Bradley on December 1 at 6:30 pm. Representatives from The Ohio State University, Columbus State Community College, and Kenyon College will be attending. We will review CCP rules and timelines outlined by the state of Ohio.
This is your best chance to learn about this program, and how your student can earn college credits while taking classes in Hilliard and beyond during their secondary years with our district.
The last time Hilliard City Schools was on the ballot was in 2016. However, last night at the Board of Education meeting, Treasurer Brian Wilson delivered the five-year forecast with news that due to tight fiscal management, the district will not need to ask taxpayers for a levy increase until 2024. That will be a full eight years between levy requests.
“During the 2016 campaign, the board of education and district officials promised our community that if it passed, we wouldn’t be on the ballot again for four more years,” said Board of Education Member and Finance Committee Member Mark Abate. “We understand the tax burden for our residents, and we are proud to be able to stay off the ballot even longer.”
In the five-year forecast, Mr. Wilson predicts Hilliard will not see a significant increase in revenue from the new state funding model. However, “Property taxes in 2020 and 2021 came in significantly better than projected in 2017,” he said. He also noted, “salaries and benefits are significantly less in 2020 and 2021 than originally projected in 2017. Part of this is a result of COVID as we reallocated staff to handle the changes in the learning environment. We were also able to use some of the federal dollars to offset some of our costs that would normally fall in the General fund.”
In early winter, Superintendent David Stewart and Deputy Superintendent Mike McDonough will bring back together the Master Facility Planning Committee. Before the pandemic, this group of community members, staff, and business experts conducted an extensive facility assessment on each building throughout the district. Reconvening this group will help the district create short-term and long-term plans for our facilities while maintaining current funding levels. In addition, although our schools have been well maintained, we must assess whether the costs associated with repairing facilities and mechanical systems are no longer a prudent investment of taxpayer dollars.
We would like to announce a new staff appreciation award that will be given to Hilliard City School employees. The Embrace, Empower & Inspire Award will be presented throughout the school year to staff members who exemplify the values of the Hilliard City Schools and make exceptional contributions to our district. These staff members demonstrate the Hilliard Way by making a difference every day, investing time in others, and pursuing excellence.
We hope our students, families, community members, and staff will take some time to nominate the staff member they feel best meets the criteria. You can watch the a video and get more details this web page.
