Rachel Householder, who teaches the athletic health care and sports science class at Coventry High School for PLCC, came to highlight how the class has been going.

The class teaches physical therapy, which has been a growing field she said. Because of the growing desire for students to go into the field, she is trying to prepare her students for college.

In the halls of Nolley Elementary School, Stewart is greeted by every student he passes. Teachers are tolerant of students even stepping out of line to say hello. Stewart comes to the school every Tuesday and Thursday mornings to encourage reading.

Manchester Schools Superintendent Sam Reynolds has been inducted into the Barberton Schools Academic Hall of Fame.

Reynolds, who has led the Manchester district since 2004, graduated from Barberton in 1965.

The award is given to Barberton High School graduates who have excelled in their profession and through community service.

Reynolds holds a bachelor’s degree in education from Kent State University and a master’s in education from the University of Akron.

He began his education career teaching sixth grade at St. Augustine, then taught at Manchester elementary and high schools, before being named the district’s director of curriculum. He is a three-time Manchester educator of the year.

During Reynolds’ time as Manchester’s superintendent, Reynolds led an effort to raise the district’s state report card rating from effective to excellent.

It’s hard to imagine how far the Portage Lakes Career Center has come since the 1970s. Now in its 35th year, the PLCC has grown in many ways, through changing technologies and economic climates.

Founders of the area vocational school took on a major responsibility in August of 1974, when Coventry, Green and Manchester residents approved a levy that would fund the building of a school to provide technical training to area students. The early days of the school, which was originally called Portage Lakes Joint Vocational School, are looked upon with fond memories by all who helped to build it, literally, from the ground up.

The Board of Education for Jackson Local Schools accepted the retirement of 11 employees and the resignations of seven others at the regular monthly meeting. Superintendent Christopher DiLoretto said that the district will be posting employment opportunities on their website www.jackson.stark.k12.oh.us to hire replacements for those leaving.

The Stark County District Library will be closed in observance of Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 13.  The library will resume regular service hours Monday, May 14.

Lake High School senior track athlete Karli Oprian has committed to attend Malone University this fall and run track for the Pioneers.  
She is a four-year letter winner for the Blue Streaks and has achieved multiple awards for her track accomplishments.

In 2011, Karli was an district champion in Div. I in both the 100-meter and 200-meter dash.  She went on to qualify for the OHSAA State Championships, finishing seventh in the state in the 100 and eighth in the 200.

For those efforts, she earned a berth on the All-Ohio Track and Field team.  

She currently holds the Lake High School record in the 100 and 200 and anchors the 4x100 meter relay team.  Karli also holds several meet records at various invitationals held throughout northeast Ohio.

“Karli has been exceptional to work with over the past few years. She has developed into an outstanding person, student and athlete,” Lake track and field coach Matt Pinion said.

“She leads by example with hard work and determination both in the classroom and on the track with a great attitude. She is self-driven to continuously improve, and has taken her natural talent and put the effort into getting better each season.”

Karli earned Academic All-Ohio honors last year with a GPA over 3.5. She plans to major in social work at Malone in addition to her involvement with the Pioneers’ track program.

The annual Spring Plant Sale at Jackson High School is scheduled for the month of May. Roy Dria, instructor of the horticulture turf and greenhouse management program at Jackson, said there are 30,000 plants ready sale.

Jim Tressel, nearly a year after resigning his job as head football coach at the Ohio State University and about a week away from officially beginning his new role at UA as the vice president of strategic engagement, appeared Tuesday as the keynote speaker at Manchester High School’s annual Varsity Academic Awards Banquet.

People, planet and profit, the triple bottom line for business, non-profit, education and industry was the focus of the annual open business forum hosted by Malone University School of Business and Leadership. The yearly event is open to the general public, students, Malone staff and faculty.

Students at Springfield's Young Elementary school went to school on Saturday March 24.

It was not a day of learning, but a day filled with fun games at the annual Young School Carnival.

Even though you were elected to carry out the will of the people, you did something that the people, by the disapproval they have voiced, obviously did not want: the recent firing of longtime Green Athletic Director Mark Pfaff. (Let’s call it what it was, a firing of a faithful employee of the school system for nearly a quarter-century overall.)

Manchester Schools will provide full-day kindergarten after the board of education approved the changed at a special board meeting April 3.

The program was recommended by Director of Curriculum and Instruction Dr. James Robinson, Nolley Principal Christi Pappas and kindergarten teachers Traci Craig and Jennifer Lasalle.

I still remember the exact moments I was bullied at my all-girls' parochial school, starting at about the same age my daughter is now. It felt as if a giant spotlight was shining down on me and a booming voice was screaming the words: “You're a loser. You don't fit in.You should just disappear.”

Over the past ten years, Walsh University enrollment has grown by an astounding 75 percent.  This growth has prompted the construction of a new three-story residence hall to accommodate the need for additional student housing on campus. The 29,000 square-foot addition will be built adjacent to the east side of Lemmon Hall and connected by the first floor to the existing building.

Enrollment looks to be up and current students excelling in spring competition were highlighted at the Portage Lakes Career Center board of education meeting March 15.

Principal Mike Kaschak said 348 students have applied to PLCC for next year so far, with 132 of them are considering full-day schedules. These numbers are better compared to the same time in 2011, which at te time set record numbers

The Green Board of Education did not renew the contract for Athletic Director Mark Pfaff. The vote went against Pfaff 5-0. His contract was not renewed based on the recommendation of Superintendent Mike Nutter.

Pfaff has been employed as AD by the district for the past 12 years. He spent 11 years previously as a physical education teacher for Green Schools. Before coming to Green, he was on the coaching staff at Springfield Local Schools. Pfaff currently makes $74,284. His contract will expire at the end of July. As an administrator, Pfaff’s employment contract is not a union agreement .

The Jackson Local Schools Board of Education approved the hiring of two principals and one education specialist at its regular monthly meeting, March 19, 2012. Both of the principals were promoted from within the district to replace retiring principals at Lake Cable and Amherst Elementary schools.

Board approved renewal of three-year contract agreement with Rea & Associates Inc. to assist in its GAAP Conversion for fiscal years 2012, 2013 and 2014 at a fixed cost of $10,500 for each of the three years with no additional charges. The board has worked with Rea & Associates Inc. since 2003.