Dear Community,

Spring is in the air and it looks like we are in for a patch of nice weather ahead. Although this is Cleveland, so who knows for sure! The Cavaliers and Indians are giving us opportunities to cheer on championship caliber teams and the upcoming NFL Draft gives us hope for the future with the Browns!

Speaking of hope for the future, Issue 11 will provide the needed educational facilities for our students and community.  On  May 2, the communities of North Royalton and Broadview Heights will decide between two different directions for our schools.  The first, with the passage of Issue 11, will provide opportunities for our students to learn in updated and modern facilities.  The second option is to cut programming and services in the amount of $3.5 million a year and reallocate those funds to put band-aid repairs on the existing structures.  As I have stated, there is no longer a choice of status quo.

Issue 11, is not a school issue, but a community issue.  Not only our schools, but the health of our entire community and our property values, are all dependent upon the success of Issue 11.  Below you will hear from a local realtor on the correlation between schools and home values.

When it comes to elections, decisions are made by those who show up.  I ask everyone to make sure your vote counts on Issue 11 and to make sure five of your neighbors and friends are also aware of Issue 11 and that they make sure their vote counts also. 

Remember you can vote by mail right now.   Click here to request your ballot.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at 440-582-9030 or at [email protected]. 

Sincerely,

Greg Gurka, 
Superintendent
North Royalton City Schools


Current Home Selling Trends by School District . . .




Click here or on the video itself to hear Lisa Sisko of Keller Williams Realty Greater Cleveland discuss how strong schools equate to strong communities and have a direct impact on property values. 


"Cities that have vibrant, growing school systems
typically have strong real estate sales."

- Lisa Sisko, Realtor, Keller Williams Realty Greater Cleveland






North Royalton City School District Receives
Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting
 
North Royalton City School District received the Certificate of Achievement in Financial Reporting by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) for its Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR).  The Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management.  This is the 24th time the district has received this recognition for excellence in financial reporting.
 
The CAFR has been judged by an impartial panel to meet the high standards of the program, which includes demonstrating a constructive "spirit of full disclosure" to clearly communicate its financial story and motivate potential users and user groups to read the CAFR.


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Table 1 compares our monthly operating receipts to the prior year actual for the first seven months of our fiscal year (July 2016 through June 2017).  It further estimates our collection through our fiscal year end.  You will notice two large collection points in our fiscal year which are July and February.  These two months are considerably higher than the others due to real estate collection which represents over 70% of our revenues.
    
Table 2 compares our monthly operating expenditures to the prior year actual for the first seven months of our fiscal year (July 2016 through June 2017).  It further estimates our expenditures through our fiscal year end.  You will notice a consistent expenditure pattern throughout our fiscal year due to salaries and wages being evenly distributed throughout our fiscal year.
 
Table 3 illustrates the current actual cumulative monthly operating revenues and expenditures for the first seven months of our fiscal year (July 2016 through June 2017).  It further estimates our cumulative revenues and expenditures through our fiscal year end.  You will notice a gradual increase in both revenues and expenditures as we approach our fiscal year end where revenues slightly surpass expenditures.
 

Table 4 illustrates our fiscal year to date operating expenditures by category for the first nine months of our fiscal year (July 2016 through June 2017).  Salary & Wages represent approximately 60%, Fringe Benefits 24%, Purchased Services 11%, Materials Supplies & Textbooks 2% and the combination of Capital Outlay and Operational Fees 3%.
 

  
LINKS to DISTRICT FINANCIALS:

Click here for the North Royalton City School District five-year forecast.

Interested in reading more?  District financial information such as our annual financial reports, forecasts, tax rates, etc., can be found by  clicking here.

Biagio Sidoti, Treasurer
North Royalton City Schools
[email protected]




Highlights of the April 10, 2017 Board of Education Meeting Presentations


NRMS John S. Shepherd Scholarship Award Winner 

North Royalton Middle School eighth grader Julia Falcioni is deserving of the John S. Shepherd Scholarship. Her essay detailed the life of John S. Shepherd, a local hero who fought in George Washington's army, while paying tribute to his memory as as a veteran of the Revolutionary War.  She did a nice job of celebrating his legacy as he lived to be 117 years old.  Her 500-word winning essay earned her a scholarship for the cost of the eighth grade extended field trip to Washington D.C.  Click here to read more.

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NRMS STEM Program Highlighted at April Board Meeting





North Royalton Middle School Science Teacher Mrs. Samantha Brown, along with eighth grade students Nick DiSisto, Nick Trottnow, Lauren Devney, and Paul Boersma and seventh grade students Ali Hertel and Taylor Jacubenta, represented the middle school with a sense of pride and professionalism as they discussed the many benefits of the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) course called Project Lead the Way.  All seventh grade students at NRMS take the course for nine weeks.  Students in grade eight can elect to take the course for one semester.  During this time, students gain an understanding of the design process, automation and robotics.  These students have truly excelled in this course and applied their knowledge to real world situations both in and outside of the classroom.

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Valley Vista Elementary Students Have a Lot of S.O.L.E.

 

Staff members at Valley Vista Elementary are using a new form of instruction in their classrooms, and it is making quite a difference with student involvement and excitement in their learning. S.O.L.E., which stands for Self-Organized Learning Environment, gets students engaged in their learning.  Both teachers and students shared their experiences at the April 10 North Royalton Board of Education Meeting. 

S.O.L.E. incorporates collaboration, critical thinking, communication, and creativity. These are skills that future employers are looking for in college graduates today.   Problem solving skills are appropriate for all future careers and the real life experiences ahead.  The idea behind using S.O.L.E. is to use higher levels of cognitive ability including creativity, evaluating, analyzing, and applying.   It requires students to work together and, at times, think outside of the box to solve problems and analyze their work rather than simply memorizing data.  Students are presented an analytical question, and they then work in groups using the Internet, Chromebooks, and one another to investigate and then report back to their classmates.
 
All four of the fourth grade teachers at Valley Vista Elementary have been using this process and are finding it to be successful with their students.  

Click here to read more.

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North Royalton PTA Recognizes Reflections Contest Winners



This year's PTA Reflections Contest theme was "What is Your Story."  Our district's PTA ran the program from October 11 to November 15, 2016.  Students submitted items in the categories of Visual Arts, Literature, Photography, Music Composition, Dance Choreography, and Film Production to their schools for judging. All first place winners at each school were submitted for judging at the Council level in December. There were 14 students in 16 categories who won at the Council level and went on to compete at the State level in January.

At the April 10 North Royalton Board of Education meeting, Lori Krzywicki, Council PTA Chair for Reflections, announced the winners' names to the board.  They include:  
At the high school level:

Visual Arts and Literature - Rachel Pavelich 11th grade 
Rachel received an Honorable Mention for her work in Literature
                  
For Music Composition - Elaine Slaby 11th grade

At the middle school level, which is grades 6 through 8:
 
Visual Arts - Varuni Chopra, 6th grade

Literature - Emmanuel Velkos, 6th grade

Photography - Gabrielle Brihn, 7th grade

At the intermediate level, which is grades 3 through 5:

Visual Arts - Alanna Olman, 5th grade
                    
Literature - Jonathan Pavelich, 5th grade
Jonathan received an Honorable Mention also
                 
Photography - Alyssa DeAngelis, 4th grade at Valley Vista
                 
Music Compositon - Andrew Gurin 4th grade at Albion
                 
Dance Choreography - Alivia Olman, 3rd grade at Valley Vista
                 
Film Production - Maddie Putnam, 4th grade at Valley Vista

At the primary level, which is grades kindergarten through 2nd:
                 
Visual Arts and Photography - Jackson Brihn, 1st grade at Royal View
                 
Literature - Katie Crowe, 2nd grade at Royal View

Film Production - Alexandros Velkos, 2nd grade at Albion 
Alexandros received a 2nd Place Award of Achievement at the State level

"Congratulations to all who participated in this year's Reflections contest, and especially to our Council level winners," said Krzywicki. "I look forward to seeing all of your names again next year, as you share your talent in the arts with the PTA. Next year's theme is "Within Reach," so you can start planning now!"

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Congratulations Swimmers!

 
At the April 10 Board of Education meeting, our North Royalton High School State Qualifiers for swimming were recognized.  They include:

OHSAA DISTRICTS/ADVANCE TO STATES:
-Emma Glickberg - relay alternate
-Anna Martin - 200 medley relay, 200 free relay, 100 breaststroke
-Gina Smith - 200 medley relay, 200 free relay
-Sarah Turchanik - 200 medley relay, 200 IM, 200 free relay, 100 backstroke
-Anna Weber - 200 medley relay, 200 free relay
 
OHSAA STATES:
-200 YARD IM:
   -Sarah Turchanik: 8th place
-100 YARD BREASTSTROKE:
   -Anna Martin: 11th place


OHSAA DISTRICTS/ADVANCE TO STATES:
-Bobby Bottomley - 200 free relay, 400 free relay
-Colton Phelps - 200 IM, 100 butterfly, 200 free relay, 400 free relay
-Mason Romstadt - 200 free relay, 400 free relay
-Andy Vance - 200 free relay, 400 free relay
-Tanner Wilson - relay alternate
                         
OHSAA STATES:
-200 YARD IM:
   -Colton Phelps: 7th place




Other Useful Links for you . . .  

to read the North Royalton City School District's Quality Profile.  

for the 2016-17 school calendar 
 
Click here
for the NR Board of Education meeting minutes and agendas.  Click here for meeting dates for 2016-17.