Dear Community,

With the recent defeat of Issue 116, I want to provide you with an update as to the next steps the district is taking.

To begin, I want to thank the Committee for Royalton Schools' Future and the hundreds of volunteers that worked tirelessly on the Issue 116 campaign. As a district, it is our duty and responsibility to make sure that our students receive the best possible education that is available.  While I am confident that our dedicated teachers, administrators and support staff will continue to provide a safe and nurturing environment, the reality is the students and staff have been and will continue to work in conditions that do not allow them to reach their maximum potential.  

In the upcoming weeks, the Board of Education will be engaging the community in a discussion about what the next steps should be.  As I stated, we cannot continue to allow our children to be educated in sub-par facilities.  A bond issue will either need to be approved, or existing funds will need to be utilized to make repairs to our facilities.  This decision will have an effect on programs and services that our district can offer.  A focus group, along with a community survey, will provide the Board with the data to help make that decision.  In addition, the engagement process also will include a community meeting on  Wednesday, January 4, 2017, at 7 PM in the High School Cafeteria #1 to allow the Board to hear your thoughts about the options to move forward.  If any of you would like to speak to me or any of our board members directly about your thoughts and/or suggestions before our January 4 community meeting, please email or call us and we will promptly respond.

We are at a critical juncture in our district and community.  Our facilities are at an age and condition where the repairs and maintenance that have been faithfully done will no longer meet their needs.  We cannot continue on the path we are on as it will have a detrimental effect on the ability of our teachers to prepare children for their future.  

I ask you to be involved in the discussion by either contacting a Board of Education member and expressing your thoughts and/or by making sure to attend the community meeting on January 4.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at 440-582-9030 or at greg.gurka@northroyaltonsd.orgI wish the communities of North Royalton and Broadview Heights a happy holiday season and best wishes for a great 2017!


Sincerely,

Greg Gurka, 
Superintendent
North Royalton City Schools



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Table 1 compares our monthly operating receipts to the prior year actual for the first five 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 five 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 five 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 five months of our fiscal year (July 2016 through June 2017).  Salary and Wages represent approximately 59%, Fringe Benefits 23%, Purchased Services 12%, Materials Supplies & Textbook 3% 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

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Royal View Elementary Principal Recognizes Students in Pride Patrol at December Board of Education Meeting



On Monday, December 12, at the North Royalton Board of Education meeting, Royal View Elementary Principal Kirk Pavelich recognized the first grade students who are involved in the school's Pride Patrol program.

The first grade Pride Patrol is a service-based group that instills the values of Royal Pride through keeping the school clean. Two students are selected from each classroom for a two-week period to patrol the hallways after morning announcements to ensure the school is clean, lockers are closed, and that important papers and items found are returned to their rightful owner. The students get to wear Pride Patrol hats and learn the pledge: "I promise to be helpful and follow the rules. My pride in Royal View will show with clean hallways, tidy floors, and closed lockers."

"Everything we do at Royal View revolves around the concept of Royal Pride, specifically recognizing students throughout the year who are respectful, responsible and active learners," said Pavelich. "Service with the Pride Patrol epitomizes those same values for some of the youngest learners in our building."

The current Pride Patrol students joined Pavelich at the meeting and recited their pledge aloud for those in attendance.


Athletes Recognized at December Board of Education Meeting

Congratulations to the following athletes and teams for an outstanding fall season. The Board of Education recognized them at the December meeting.

GIRLS SOCCER:      S/L: 6-0-1           OVERALL: 12-4-2
S/L FINAL STANDINGS
SUBURBAN LEAGUE CHAMPIONS

SUBURBAN LEAGUE - ALL LEAGUE

COACH OF THE YEAR: PETE RAGONE
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: JACKIE CLEGG
 
CHEERLEADERS

SUBURBAN LEAGUE 2016 CHAMPIONS

ACADEMIC ALL-OHIO

Jacob Shook - Boys Golf
Logan Kieklak- Boys Golf
Tyler Snyder - Boys Golf
Blake Rudy - Boys Golf
Emily Doleh - Girls Golf
Jessica Tuttle - Girls Golf
Bayley Miozzi - Girls Soccer
Carly Chester - Girls Soccer
Emily Mark - Girls Soccer
Milica Prica - Girls Soccer
Jackie Clegg - Girls Soccer
Keeley Malley - Girls Soccer
Aubry Ohlson - Volleyball
Michael Colabianchi - Boys Soccer
Evan Neczypor - Boys Soccer
Garret Pyatt - Boys Soccer
Markus Reineks - Boys Soccer
Matiss Reineks - Boys Soccer
Bryce Zeleznik - Boys Soccer

Cheerleaders

Boys Soccer
                                        Boys Soccer

Girls Soccer


North Royalton High School Placed on the College Board's 7th Annual AP® District Honor Roll for Significant Gains in Student Access and Success
 
North Royalton High School is one of 433 school districts in the U.S. and Canada being honored by the College Board with placement on the 7th Annual AP ® District Honor Roll.  To be included on the 7th Annual Honor Roll, North Royalton High School, had to, since 2014, increase the number of students participating in AP while also increasing or maintaining the percentage of students earning AP Exam scores of 3 or higher. Reaching these goals shows that this district is successfully identifying motivated, academically prepared students who are ready for AP.
 
"I applaud our staff and students in these classes," said Superintendent Greg Gurka, North Royalton City Schools.  "This past year, 486 students took 310 AP exams in the 12 classes offered. More than 80% of the exams taken resulted in scores of 3 or higher." For the 2017-2018 class, French will be added to the list of offerings, making the total number of AP classes 13. Currently, AP courses offered at North Royalton High School include English Lit and Composition, Calculus AB, Calculus BC, Statistics, Physics 1, Physics 2, Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, Psychology, US Government and Politics, US History, and Spanish Language.
 
Principal Sean Osborne knows students who take AP coursework are better prepared when they face the challenges of the university setting. "North Royalton High School is committed to increasing access to AP courses among prepared and motivated students," said Osborne.
 
"Congratulations to all the teachers and administrators in this district who have worked so tirelessly to both expand access to AP and also to help students succeed on the AP Exams," said Trevor Packer, the College Board's head of AP and Instruction. "These teachers and administrators are delivering real opportunity in their schools and classrooms, and students are rising to the challenge." Helping more students learn at a higher level and earn higher AP scores is an objective of all members of the AP community, from AP teachers to district and school administrators to college professors. Many districts are experimenting with initiatives and strategies to see how they can expand access and improve student performance at the same time.
 
In 2016, more than 4,000 colleges and universities around the world received AP scores for college credit, advanced placement, or both, and/or consideration in the admission process.
 
Inclusion on the 7th Annual AP District Honor Roll is based on a review of three years of AP data, from 2014 to 2016, looking across 37 AP Exams, including world language and culture. 
 
Districts must:
  • Increase participation/access to AP by at least 4% in large districts, at least 6% in medium districts, and at least 11% in small districts;
  • Increase or maintain the percentage of exams taken by black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, and American Indian/Alaska Native students; and
  • Improve or maintain performance levels when comparing the 2016 percentage of students scoring a 3 or higher to the 2014 percentage, unless the district has already attained a performance level at which more than 70% of its AP students earn a 3 or higher.
When these outcomes have been achieved among an AP student population in which 30% or more are underrepresented minority students (black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, and American Indian/Alaska Native) and/or 30% or more are low-income students (students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch), a symbol has been affixed to the district name to highlight this work.




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Other Useful Links for you . . .  

to read the Fall 2016 The Bear Way digital magazine.

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.