Michele D. Evans, Ph.D., Superintendent
Updated 09/23/09
Welcome to the Canton City School District
Welcome to the 2009-2010 school year. This year will provide the District with many opportunities and challenges. The State of Ohio has adopted a new funding formula for schools and we are learning more about the Evidence Based Model the Governor has used in establishing this new way of funding our schools. We anticipate that it will require funding some new things that we have not previously funded and reconsidering some of the activities we have previously funded as they are not provided for in the new model. Information is forthcoming almost daily from the Ohio Department of Education as we learn more about our new funding system and the new spending requirements within the model.
We are pleased that the district maintained a rating of “Continuous Improvement.” We continue to strive to be the first of the Ohio 8 Districts to achieve an “Effective” rating. We congratulate Worley Elementary School, which again achieved a rating of “Excellent” on the state report card. We also extend our congratulations to McKinley High School and McGregor Elementary which recently moved into “Effective” along with Schreiber Elementary and Mason Elementary, which achieved this rating two years in a row.
What is most gratifying to me is that we are seeing growth in many of our buildings. Last year, only five buildings were considered to be “high growth” buildings (i.e. growing more than one year of growth in a year’s time). This year, THIRTEEN buildings have achieved more than a year’s growth in a year’s time. Our building and district staff are working hard to provide the very best education for the boys and girls of the Canton City Schools.
Graduation rates continue to rise and we continue to try to stretch the dollars we have further. Our five-year forecast is definitely moving in the right direction, but with this volatile economy, we know that anything we have is tenuous at best. We will continue to strive to reduce costs while maintaining the quality education our youngsters deserve and our community expects.
Thanks to all the parents and community members who so faithfully support our buildings. Your involvement with our students and staff is invaluable. We know that the work we do every day changes lives. We want our youth to experience a brighter tomorrow than we are experiencing today and the path to that tomorrow begins with a quality education. I look forward to continuing to work with our great community, parents, educators and students as we seek to make Canton the BEST city district in the State of Ohio.
Thank you for your support. We look forward to a great 2009-2010 school year.
Sincerely,
Michele D. Evans, Ph.D.
Superintendent
