The Ohio Department of Education released its school report cards last week. This was the third year results were displayed through a star-based system rather than on an A-F letter-grade scale.

The ODE collected information from the state's more than 600 public school districts and broke the data into five categories this year: achievement, progress, gap closing, graduation, and early literacy.

The Kings Local School District received an overall rating of four stars, which exceeds state standards. See the breakdown below:

Achievement: Four stars — "Exceeds state standards in academic achievement."

Progress: Two stars — "Significant evidence that the district fell short of student growth expectations."

Gap closing: Five stars — "Significantly exceeds state standards in closing educational gaps."

Graduation: Four stars — "Exceeds state standards in graduation rates."

Early literacy: Five stars — "Significantly exceeds state standards in early literacy (K-3)."

While we celebrate the progress that we've made, we know we still have work to do and we remain committed to using the data we received to make improvements.

Kings Superintendent, Greg Sears believes that state assessments only provide a snapshot of a district's success. "Our report card data serves a dual purpose: it validates our educational strengths and identifies areas for growth. We remain committed to further enhancing academic performance while continuing to provide rich, growth-evoking academic, artistic, and athletic experiences that prepare our students for the complexities of the world beyond the walls of our school district,” he said.

The full details of the report card can be found on the ODE website.

Last week we told you how the 2024 property revaluation will affect Kings Taxpayers. Property values will go up on average 27.2% but property taxes will only increase on average 4-5% due to the reappraisal.

Warren County continues to prosper and with that prosperity comes an increase in the value of your home. 

County Auditor Matt Nolan presented to the Kings Board of Education this week. He stated that home values in Warren County will go up on average 27.2% during the 2024 property revaluation. This does not mean that your property taxes are increasing by 27.2%. Auditor Nolan said that property taxes in Kings will increase 4-5% on average due to the 27.2% home value increase.

He said that this is the largest increase in equity in history. The home values are based on sales data. There are 110,000 homes in Warren County and this new reappraisal is based on what the property values were in January 2024 and he said, "The values have increased 10% since then."

The Warren County Auditor's office will be sending out letters to property owners beginning today that will include your property value and QR code to get more information. He said to talk to a realtor if you believe that your home value is incorrect. Auditor Nolan encourages people to contact his office for any questions. The Auditor's Office has set aside the whole month of October for education.

The District’s financing team has worked collaboratively with Auditor Nolan to validate the district’s commitment to phase in the bond levy collections to reduce the burden on our community. The community will pay $123 per year for every $100,000 of home value in addition to existing bond levies to pay for the new bond levy beginning in 2025.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Auditor Nolan at auditor@wcauditor.org or Kings Treasurer, Mike Morrow at mmorrow@kingslocal.net.

Kings will also host a virtual Parent Information Session on Erin's Law on Monday, September 23 at 7:00 p.m.

Erin's Law is Senate Bill 288 which updated the prescribed curriculum for health education, adding requirements related to child sexual abuse prevention. 

Beginning in the 2023-2024 school year, school districts in Ohio were required to provide developmentally appropriate instruction in child sexual abuse prevention to students in grades kindergarten through six. 

The program empowers children to spot and respond to bullying, cyberbullying, child abuse, and digital safety dangers. It teaches that adults are responsible for their safety but there are things they can do to help adults keep them safe. The Program is based on the latest research and has been reviewed and endorsed by national experts.

Kings will host a virtual Parent Information Session on the program on Monday, September 23 at 7:00 p.m. That session will be recorded for those who are unable to attend. Joining instructions for the virtual presentation can be found here.

The 2024 Kings Homecoming will be here before we know it. The ever-popular community Kings Homecoming Parade will take place on Friday, October 4 at at 5:30 p.m. and run from KME to KJH.

All groups are welcome to walk in the parade but must register before Monday, September 30. On the day of the parade, all Groups are to be in place by 5:00 p.m. at the KME parking lot to walk in the parade. Vehicles in the parade must arrive between 4:00 - 4:20 p.m. For a Team or Group to participate in the parade please complete online registration:

Questions? Email Eric Taylor at etaylor@kingslocal.net or Kat Treleven kat3110519@gmail.com.

Additionally, the Kings Education Association will once again be hosting a block party from 4:00-7:00 p.m. on the practice fields by Kings High School. There will be lots of fun family activities like an obstacle course, cornhole, face painting, music, and popsicles. The event is FREE. Don't miss it! 

The Kings Knights will take on rival Little Miami at the Castle. Kickoff is 7:00 p.m.

We hope you'll join us for a fun evening in Kings Mills!

Want to help save lives by donating blood!?! The Hoxworth Kings High School Jorge Gonzalez Memorial Blood Drive is coming up on Friday, September 27 from 10:45 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. 

Donations will take place in the KJH Multi-Purpose Room - SIGN UP HERE! All donors will receive a donor gift from Hoxworth of a pair of Lounge Pants at time of donation.

Fosters-Maineville Road and Faller Road will be closed beginning Monday, September 23, 2024, for five (5) days, weather permitting. 

Fosters-Maineville Road will be closed between the addresses of 882 Fosters-Maineville Road and 903 Fosters-Maineville Road. Faller Road will be closed north of address 8054 Faller Road. The closure is for an underground utility construction, which will be completed by a contractor for the Warren County Water and Sewer Department.

The detour for the closure of Fosters-Maineville Road will utilize Old 3’C Highway, US22/SR3 and SR48.

For more information, visit http://www.wceo.us/ or contact WCEO at (513) 695-3301.

This weekend, don't miss your chance to see these amazing Kings students perform in Acting Up's next show, Disney's Camp Rock: The Musical!  

This high-energy show features over 60 talented young performers from the Cincinnati area, rocking out to hits like "This Is Me," "Can't Back Down," "It's On," and "We Rock!"

Join Mitchie and her friends as they rally to save Camp Rock from the flashy new Camp Star across the lake. With a classic story of rivalry and friendship, this musical will have audiences cheering for the underdogs.

Performances are September 20-22 at Mason High School. Get your tickets at ActingUp.com.

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 Kings Board of Education meets twice a month. They hold a Work Session on the second Tuesday of the month and a Regular Meeting on the third Tuesday of the month. All meetings are held at 6:00 p.m. and are livestreamed on the Kings Youtube channel.

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

If you aren't following us on our social media channels, you are missing out! Don't miss one bit of news!

Make sure to follow us on social media!

Keep in the loop on Facebook, X (Twitter), and Instagram

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!

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.

Kings Athletics is excited to announce the addition of Men’s Volleyball at the HS level beginning this Spring. Men’s Volleyball will be an official ECC sport and the Kings Knights are looking for players and coaches.

For more information contact Kings Athletic Director, Eric Taylor at etaylor@kingslocal.net.

Ohio McDonald's owner-operators will be raising funds for local high school athletic programs, including Kings, on September 26.

During the High School Sports Digital Fundraiser Day, 261 schools across Ohio including 14 of the 17 public schools in Warren County will earn10 percent of all sales purchased through the McDonald’s app. Each identified program will receive a minimum of $250.

“This is the second year of the digital fundraiser, where all Ohio area owner operators have come together to show our support for local high school athletics. Our hope is that the local communities will come out to support their high schools and help us make the High School Sports Digital Fundraiser Day a success throughout the state,” said local McDonald's Owner/Operator, Katie Blankenship.

Let's all download the McDonald’s app and support Kings Athletics on September 26!