To address the current enrollment capacities, the Kings Local School District Board of Education has approved a facility Master plan and has placed a Bond Levy on the March 19, 2024 ballot for Kings community voter input.

Here is a summary of the key points from the Master Plan:

• The plan calls for building a new Kings High School and transitioning our three elementary schools (J.F. Burns, Kings Mills, South Lebanon) to K-3 schools.
• Columbia Intermediate School will be expanded to house 4th-5th graders. 
• The current Kings High School will become Kings Junior High for grades 6-8.

The ballot will state that the ask is for 5.971 mills. The community's actual financial impact is projected to be 3.50 mills or $123 annually per $100K of true home value. This is due to the proactive work that the District has done with financial experts to develop a plan that minimizes the impact on taxpayers. The reduction of old project payments and a phased approach to new payments will allow for a smaller financial impact.

We will continue to keep you informed. If you have any questions regarding school finance, please contact Kings Treasurer, Mike Morrow at mmorrow@kingslocal.net.

Please visit the Kings Facilities Page on the Kings website to learn more.  

The Kings Board of Education met on Tuesday, January 9, for their annual Organizational Meeting. During the meeting, the Board nominated and elected their leaders for 2024.

Congratulations to Stacie Belfrom and Peggy Phillips who were elected to another year as Board President and Vice-President, respectively.

During the meeting, the Board also set the 2024 Board meeting dates. Please note that ALL meetings will begin at 6:00 p.m.

Being a school board member is an important role in a school district. Serving as a link between the community and the classroom, school board members are elected to establish the policies that provide the framework for public schools.

Please join all of us in the Kings Local School District in thanking our board of education for out-of-this-world service. January is School Board Recognition Month, and we are celebrating all month long. Please help us thank these education leaders for preparing today’s students to become tomorrow’s leaders.

Thank you Stacie Belfrom, Peggy Phillips, Deb Cowan, Janelle Groff, and John Skerl, for caring about our children and giving so much to our community. Your dedicated service is recognized and truly appreciated. Happy School Board Recognition Month!

There are always reasons to celebrate at Kings! On Wednesday, January 10, we honored our students of the quarter and other outstanding students at our second of three yearly District Celebrations. District Administrators and School Board members were on hand to celebrate these fantastic students. Congratulations to the following:

J.F. Burns Elementary  - 1st Grade – Bennett Toepfert and Lilly Betts

2nd Grade – Thomas Alexander and Owen Westaway; 3rd Grade – Jax Ladd and Begoyim Kamolova; 4th Grade – Audrey Weber and Ella Weber

Kings Mills Elementary  -  1st Grade – Ripley Burke; 2nd Grade – Nora Bengal and Hannah Speer; 3rd Grade – Titus Casteel and Everly Schmidt;

4th Grade – Josalyah Schaff

South Lebanon Elementary  -  1st Grade – Nainaka Nama and Quinn Hartle; 2nd Grade – Kate Lewis and Bennett Asher; 3rd Grade – Janie Combs and Josie Combs; 4th Grade – Rylynn Hobold

Columbia Intermediate  - 5th Grade – Brantley Holzmacher, Elise Furstein, Paisley Mendenhall, Myah Littlejohn, David Hare, and Cooper Zavodsky;

6th Grade – D'Marcus Allen, Zane Goldstein, Ella Paris, Jackson Paris, Austin Williams, and Lily Harder

Kings Junior High  -  7th Grade – Emma Miranda, Bonu Samandarova, and Lydia Pennimpede; 8th Grade –  Brayden Ksander, Hudson Tinsley, Sydney Fisher, and Alex Fera

Kings High School  – Sophia Beattie, Alex Bogomolov, Zach Doubet, Victoria Gorman, Kylie Felix, Finn Ragsdale, Nick Ridenour and Jordan Tungate

Congratulations!

The Kings High School Chamber Choir performed today for the Ribbon Cutting of the new Mercy Health Kings Mills Hospital.

There will be an Open House for the community on Saturday, January 13 from 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Several of our Kings High School students will be volunteering and our Firecrackers will be performing at 11:30 a.m. Hope to see you there!

The hospital will open on January 21.

The Kings Community showed up in a big way this past holiday season! The Kings Holiday Help campaign provided gifts and clothing for over 350 students and 155 families in our district!

Kings Resource Coordinator, Lauren Wise said that she couldn't believe how generous of a community we have in Kings. "Your support is appreciated and does not go unnoticed," she said.

She said that our biggest win of the project was that all of the money and gifts that were raised came from individuals. "There was no partnership with a big organization or large donations by companies. Just over 200 individuals stepped in to help," she said.

Overall, over $47,000 in gifts, gift cards, and money was raised. Each child received two clothing items and a toy. Included for the family was a Kroger gift card, wrapping and bows.

Thank you, Kings Community! You made a difference! #KINGSSTRONG

Congratulations to Kings Senior, Ethan Hoin who has received a nomination to both the Air Force Academy and West Point Military Academy from Representative Greg Landsman.

A nomination is a significant achievement and an important first step in being admitted to a Service Academy. We're hopeful that Ethan will ultimately receive an appointment which translates to confirmed admission.  

Kings is very proud of Ethan and all he has accomplished as a King's Knight! He has a 4.1 weighted GPA and has been very involved with the Kings Varsity Swim Team; providing leadership to younger teammates. He also swims with the Countryside YMCA Torpedoes Swim Club and was named Outstanding Achiever for the past 2 years.

Ethan has been active in KHS Student Government as a class representative in both his junior and senior years. He would like to study pre-med and ultimately attend medical school. Ethan is the son of Melissa Hoin, John Hoin, and John Schneeman. 

We wish Ethan all the best in his continued pursuits.

In case you missed the beautiful sunrise this morning, Kings Junior High Intervention Specialist, Suzanne Dwyer shared it with us in a picture with her students. She said," When you have the most spectacular view of the sunrise with your favorite people, your world must pause and be grateful. I. Am. So. Lucky. Thank you KJH (and) Kings Local Schools for the best gift of this class. They just keep giving and giving." 

She's right, the sunrise was beautiful, but look at all those beautiful smiles!

Congratulations to Kings High School senior, Rylee Tudor, who performed at the Cheez-it Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida, on New Year's Day.

Rylee was selected to perform in the pre-game performance by qualifying as an "All-American Cheerleader" at the Universal Cheerleaders Association (UCA) summer camp this past summer.

Great job, Rylee!

Any families with students in grades 7-12 who are interested in participating in the College Credit Plus (CCP) program for the next school year are highly encouraged to attend a Virtual Information Night on Wednesday, January 24.

College Credit Plus (CCP) is a state-wide program that allows students ready for college-level courses to earn both high school and college credit at the same time. The program is available for students entering 7-12 grade in the 2023-2024 school year.

To learn more about the CCP options available, please register here. If you have any questions about how the program works, please contact your child's school counselor or Kings Director of Teaching and Learning, Matt Freeman, at mfreeman@kingslocal.net.

Journey "under the sea" with Ariel and her aquatic friends in Disney's The Little Mermaid Jr. In a magical underwater kingdom, the beautiful young mermaid Ariel longs to leave her ocean home - and her fins - behind, and live in the world above. But first, she'll have to defy her father, King Triton, make a deal with the evil sea witch Ursula, and convince the handsome Prince Eric that she's the girl whose enchanting voice he's been seeking.

Kings Junior High School Theatre will perform the show on January 25, 26, and 27 at 7:00 p.m. in the Kings High School Auditorium. They will also offer a 2:00 p.m. matinee on Saturday, January 27.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for students, staff, and senior citizens. Tickets can be purchased online.

Kings Kloset will be open on Saturday, January 13, from 9:00-11:00 a.m. in the Kings Education Center.

Kings Kloset is a volunteer-run second-hand clothing store that offers FREE children through adult apparel for our community members in need.

They greatly appreciate your willingness to give back to the community. However, they have very limited space and can only take donations that meet the needs of the students they serve. 

We appreciate your understanding and support in helping us serve the students in our community most efficiently. For more information or to donate email kingskloset@kingslocal.net.

We are looking to bolster our Kings Alumni database. Are you a Kings High School graduate or know someone who is? Please share the form with your fellow graduates. This will help our reunion committees and keep you updated on what is happening at your alma mater!

Please complete this Alumni Roundup Form.

Board Members

Kings Board of Education (L-R): Janelle Groff, Board Member; John Skerl, Board Member; Deb Cowan, Board Member; Stacie Belfrom, President; and Peggy Phillips, Vice-President.

The Board will meet on Tuesday, January 16, for their Regular Meeting beginning at 6:00 p.m. in the Kings Education Center, Conf. Rm. 2

Visit the Board of Education page on our website for meeting dates, meeting recordings, and agendas.

All meetings are live-streamed on the Kings Youtube channel.

If you are looking to purchase Kings Spiritwear, visit the Kings Online Spiritwear Store provided by our partner ROKKITWEAR. All items will be printed and sent out within 5 business days! You can also personalize any item in the store!

Keep in touch with all things Kings Spiritwear by following our Facebook page!

In an effort to be "green," the District does not send paper flyers home. We use a platform called Peachjar that houses flyers of community programs and resources. 

Parents receive approved flyers via email, and they are posted on our digital flyerboard for easy retrieval. Any organization can distribute information to our community by creating an account!

Please join the Kings Athletic Booster Club for their annual gala fundraiser, Knight To Remember on Saturday, March 9 at the Marriott Hotel NE. This event supports our KINGS student-athletes! The evening will begin with a cocktail hour from 5:30-6:30 p.m., followed by dinner, live & silent auctions, a reverse raffle, and dancing!

This year's theme is VEGAS KNIGHTS and you are encouraged to dress in your favorite VEGAS attire.

Not able to attend? You can still participate in our online silent auction by registering for a GiveSmart account. Auction items will begin to appear on the site as we get closer to the event. 

Early bird pricing ends Jan. 31. Tickets on sale through Feb. 29. Purchase tickets and register now for KABC's biggest night of the year!

Please email Sara Ritter at saritter@cinci.rr.com if you have any questions or if your business is interested in being a sponsor or donating to our live or silent auction!