News from Bowling Green City Schools

June 5, 2026

Message from the Superintendent

Dear Members of the Bowling Green City Schools Community,

As we begin summer break, I want to take a moment to reflect on what has been an outstanding year for Bowling Green City Schools. From academic achievements and state recognitions to student performances, athletic accomplishments, and the continued progress on our new high school, there is much to celebrate across our district.

A few weeks ago, we proudly celebrated the Bowling Green High School Class of 2026 during commencement. Graduation is always a special milestone, and we congratulate our newest alumni as they begin the next chapter of their journeys. We are confident they will continue to make a positive impact wherever life takes them.

This year also brought many accomplishments for our district. Bowling Green City Schools earned an overall rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars on the Ohio School Report Card for the second consecutive year, Conneaut Elementary once again earned a 5-star rating, we received Ohio's highest districtwide PBIS recognition, all five of our schools earned the PBIS Silver Award, we released the second edition of our Quality Profile, our food service team earned the Clean Plate Award for all five school cafeterias for the second year in a row, construction of the new high school continues to make impressive progress, and we celebrated many achievements by students and staff across the district.

I would like to congratulate our June Staff Member of the Month, Julie Clauson. For nearly 26 years, Julie has been a dedicated member of the BGCS family and a familiar face at Crim Elementary. As kitchen manager, she helps ensure students receive nutritious meals each day while creating a welcoming environment for students and staff. Julie's commitment to children, her positive attitude, and her years of service reflect the caring spirit that makes Bowling Green City Schools such a special place.

While our classrooms may be quieter during the summer months, important work continues throughout the district as teams prepare for the year ahead. We look forward to welcoming students back in August and building on the success of this school year.

Thank you for your continued support of Bowling Green City Schools. I hope our students, families, staff, and community members enjoy a safe, relaxing, and enjoyable summer.

Go Bobcats,

Dr. Ted Haselman

Superintendent

For nearly 26 years, Julie has been a familiar and welcoming presence at Crim Elementary School. As the kitchen manager, she helps ensure students receive nutritious meals each day while creating a positive environment for both students and staff.

Julie began her career with Bowling Green City Schools as a two-hour-per-day recess monitor and worked her way up to her current role as kitchen manager, an accomplishment she is especially proud of.

“What I enjoy most are the kids,” Julie shared. “They are fun and funny. I laugh every day.”

One of Julie’s favorite memories is watching her own daughters participate in Crim’s end-of-year clap out celebrations. Both of her daughters attended Crim, making the school a special place for her both professionally and personally.

A simple recycling project turned into a meaningful lesson in service, teamwork, and giving back this school year. Members of the Kenwood K-Kids Club, made up of students in grades 3-5, spent the year collecting and crushing aluminum cans from Kenwood Elementary and Bowling Green High School as part of their "Crushing Cans" initiative. The project raised a little more than $150 to support community service efforts chosen by the students.

After learning about the project, students enrolled in Mrs. Kayleigh Evans' Life Skills course at Bowling Green High School volunteered to help. As part of their weekly recycling program, the students gathered aluminum cans from the high school and added them to the K-Kids collection.

The Life Skills program focuses on developing real-world skills through community projects such as a staff coffee cart and recycling collection. These experiences help students build social skills, leadership, teamwork, problem-solving abilities, and a sense of purpose through service to others.

Together, the students collected enough cans to generate funds that were used to purchase items for Angels in Arms and make a donation to the Crim Inclusive Playground Project. K-Kids members also collected aluminum pull tabs throughout the year to support the Ronald McDonald House.

The project is a great example of students of all ages working together to make a positive impact in their school community and beyond.

Community members who would like to support the effort can donate aluminum cans through Bates Recycling by designating them for Kenwood K-Kids.

Ohio SUN Bucks provides eligible families with funds to help purchase groceries for school-aged children during the summer months. Families with household incomes at or below 185% of the federal poverty level may qualify for Summer EBT/SUN Bucks. If you think your family may qualify, you can apply online through the Ohio SUN Bucks program: https://sebt.ohio.gov/

Some families' information may have already been shared automatically with the program. If you are unsure whether your information was automatically submitted, please contact Tabitha Hiler-Young at thiler-young@bgcs.k12.oh.us.

You are welcome to complete the application on the state website to ensure submission. 

Important: Applications must be submitted by August 14, 2026.

Special Note for Crim Elementary Families:

If you completed the Household Information Survey, that does NOT automatically qualify you for Ohio SUN Bucks. The Household Information Survey is used for school fees only. If you believe you may be eligible for SUN Bucks, you will still need to complete the Ohio SUN Bucks application.

For more information, read the Sun Bucks Program Frequently Asked Questions.

Free Summer Meals

Children aged 18 and under can also receive free meals at summer meal sites, including Crim Elementary. Children don’t need to bring an I.D. or give any kind of income information. Kids must eat meals at the location they are served.

Crim Summer Meal Program: June 8 - July 31

• Breakfast Served: 8:00 AM – 8:30 AM
• Lunch Served: 11:30 AM – 12:45 PM

To find additional meal sites near you:

• Call 1-866-3-HUNGRY
• Text "summer meals" to 914-342-7744

A traffic flow map is available here.

Snapshots of Success

The Resident Educator Program is a two-year journey of learning, collaboration, and professional growth for new teachers. Through mentorship, reflection, and ongoing support, educators build confidence and strengthen their practice in meaningful ways.

After two successful years of development, teachers complete the program ready to continue their impact in the classroom with a strong foundation and a growth mindset that lasts far beyond the induction years.

Congratulations to our 2026 Resident Educators!

Jennifer Campos, Bowling Green City Schools Director of Communications and Public Relations, recently received the Ohio School Public Relations Association (OHSPRA) PowerPRo designation at the OHSPRA Spring Conference. She was recognized as one of just a handful of professionals across Ohio to receive this award. This honor highlights her ongoing dedication to continued professional growth and excellence in school communications.

Additionally, this afternoon, the National School Public Relations Association announced that the 2025–2026 BGCS district calendar that she created earned an Award of Merit in the 2026 National School Communication Awards in the Publications and Digital Media category.

Congratulations to Conneaut Elementary Principal Alyssa Karaffa on being recognized as a Hometown Hero by Modern Woodmen Fraternal Financial! As part of the Hometown Hero recognition, Mrs. Karaffa will direct a $100 donation to a charity of her choice.

The recognition comes after several years of achievement at Conneaut Elementary, including earning a 5-star rating on the Ohio School Report Card for two consecutive years, receiving the Ohio Momentum Award, and advancing from a PBIS Bronze Award to the PBIS Silver Award in 2025. In addition, Conneaut Elementary was nominated as an Ohio Association of Elementary School Administrators (OAESA) Hall of Fame School, and Mrs. Karaffa was a candidate for the OAESA 2026 Principal of the Year Award.

Thank you to Modern Woodmen for recognizing the positive impact taking place at Conneaut Elementary!

Rylann H. on earned first place in the K-1 division of the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) poster contest in Wood County!



Julie Lause from the Wood County Soil and Water Conservation District visited the classroom to present Rylann’s award, return all of the student entries, and talk with students about what they learned from the project.

These Bowling Green students who were recognized with 2026 Outstanding Student Awards at Penta based on performance and excellence in their individual career-technical programs at Penta:



• Tyler Firsdon – Automotive Technology

• Avery Jicha – Marketing Education

• Emily Lantz – Engineering Technologies

• Ryan Taylor – Medical Technologies

Julia Barnett and Shawn Carney signed their commitment to run in college! Julia recently broke a 26-year-old school record in long jump with a PR jump of 17’8”, surpassing the previous record by four inches! She will be attending Washington University. Shawn will be running cross country at Hocking College. He was part of the state runner-up BGHS boys cross country team this year!

Molly Tyson and Nathan LaWarre are recipients of scholarships from the Northwest Ohio Consortium of Coordinators for Gifted! Molly plans to begin learning about pediatrics with the goal of becoming a pediatrician and helping children with rare diseases. Nathan will use his scholarship to start exploring biomedical engineering and hopes to pursue a career in the field. We are proud of their accomplishments and wish them continued success!

Congratulations to our May BGMS Students of the Month and Elementary Bobcat Pride winners!

Students in Ms. Ahmed's STEAM class recently helped support Project VISTA, a research initiative led by BGSU that uses virtual reality to teach foundational drone flight skills. Through immersive simulations, students gained hands-on experience with emerging technology while exploring future career pathways in aviation and technology careers.

Last day of school staff group photos at Conneaut Elementary and Kenwood Elementary.

Here are a few photos from the 2026 BGHS Commencement Ceremony.

District Calendars: https://www.bgcs.k12.oh.us/district/calendars

High School Athletics: https://hs.bgcs.k12.oh.us/athleticshs

Middle School Athletics: https://go.dragonflyathletics.com/sites/OHSAA/M82YW7/about

Flyerboard: https://www.bgcs.k12.oh.us/parents/flyerboard

Read our latest Quality Profile to learn more about Bowling Green City Schools.