Tuesdays with Mr. Knoll
A message from Superintendent Knoll
Dear Cardinal Family,
This will be my final “Tuesdays with Mr. Knoll” to share the facts of the upcoming November 3 operating levy. I want to review our district's financial standing, why this issue is before our community, and what it means for the future of Canfield Local Schools.
For more than a decade (since 2013), the district has functioned without new operating revenue while the cost of educating our students has continued to increase. Salaries and benefits, transportation, utilities, technology, and student services all place increasing demands on our budget. In addition, the state of Ohio has cut its funding such that Canfield receives fewer dollars than we did in 2016. For FY2027, our projected revenue is approximately $31.5 million, while expenditures exceed $33 million. This gap is not sustainable.
Our district has worked to manage expenses, identify efficiencies, and make responsible financial decisions. As we have shared, the district has saved around $4 million dollars over the past 6 years due to staff reductions through attrition.
The proposed 5.9-mill operating levy is designed to generate approximately $5.7 million annually. The estimated cost is $207 per year (~ $17.00 per month) for a property valued at $100,000 by the County Auditor. These additional operating funds would help the district maintain people, protect student programs, and support extracurricular opportunities. This operating levy will not be used to construct new facilities.
Without additional operating revenue this school year, we will need to consider increasingly difficult decisions. These could include reductions in staffing, programs, extracurricular activities, and services, as well as changes to transportation and course offerings. We will continue to examine efficiencies, but reductions alone cannot indefinitely address the gap between revenue and expenses without affecting students and the services we provide.
I recognize that many families and taxpayers are experiencing their own financial challenges. Those concerns deserve to be heard and respected. As Superintendent, I am responsible for being transparent about the district's financial position, explaining the choices before us, and ensuring our community understands the potential implications of those choices.
As Election Day approaches, I ask that you remain informed about the facts surrounding the operating levy. Operating levy information can be found on our district website:
https://www.canfieldschools.net/november-2026-operating-levy
As always, there is so much to celebrate across our district. Keep scrolling to see the great things happening in our buildings and throughout our Cardinal community.
#OneCanfield
Head to the polls on Nov. 3. Precincts are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Please take a moment to visit our website for our "Financial Friday" facts, an updated FAQ page, and links to our financial presentations.
We are proud to recognize our outstanding Cardinals, honored at the October 14th Board of Education meeting as Rotary Students of the Month!
- C.H.S. 12th senior: Michael Zoccali
- C.V.M.S. 8th Grade: Camille Chamoun
- CH Campbell 4th Grade: Jarret Inchak
- Hilltop 4th Grade: Avery Thornton
Congratulations to Michael, Camille, Jarret, and Avery on this well-deserved recognition! We are proud of the hard work, dedication, and Cardinal pride you bring to our schools. Keep soaring, Cardinals!
The Canfield High School Speech & Debate Team kicked off its competition season with two strong performances, earning numerous individual honors and finishing first as a team on Saturday!
The Cardinals competed at the GlenOak Novice Tournament on Saturday, Oct. 17, a preseason event for first-year competitors featuring 189 students representing 23 teams. Eight Canfield students earned individual recognition:
Drama: Lilliana Bachinger, 2nd place; Alivia Hicklin, 3rd place
Humor: Sophia Dillon, 5th place
International Extemp: Cara Hileman, 1st place; Kellan Slagle, 4th place
Lincoln-Douglas Debate: Moses Mashqbeh, 4th place
Program Oral Interpretation: Daniela Lucia Pappalardo, 4th place
United States Extemp: Remington Phillips, 6th place
The team continued its momentum at its regular-season opener in Austintown on Saturday, Oct. 24. Competing against approximately 157 students from 14 schools, Canfield captured first place as a team, with 18 students earning individual recognition:
Congressional Debate: Kate Lambert, 5th place
Declamation: Gabby Davis, 3rd place; Maggie Smith, 6th place
Drama: Alivia Hicklin, 3rd place; Lilliana Bachinger, 4th place
Humor: Alec Toporcer, 2nd place; Ethan Procopio, 6th place
International Extemp: Faheem Moonda, 1st place; Noah Gilbert, 2nd place; Rukhsar Fatima, 4th place; Cara Hileman, 6th place
Lincoln-Douglas Debate: Sophia Reed, 2nd place; Zackariah Mashqbeh, 3rd place; Moses Mashqbeh, 5th place
Program Oral Interpretation: Alexandra Pappalardo, 2nd place
United States Extemp: Niko Navarro, 2nd place; Elise Campbell, 3rd place; Andrew Padgett, 6th place
Congratulations to all our Cardinal competitors on their accomplishments! A special thank-you goes to the team's veteran members who volunteered as judges at the novice tournament, helping support and encourage the next generation of Speech & Debate competitors.
Way to go, Cardinals! 🖤
CHS CHEM CLUB CELEBRATES MOLE DAY
Our Chem Club, 60 students strong, celebrated Mole Day on October 23rd. What is Mole Day? It commemorates Avogadro's Number (6.02 x 10²³), which is a basic measuring unit in chemistry. Mole Day was created as a way to foster interest in chemistry. Schools throughout the United States and around the world celebrate Mole Day with various activities related to chemistry and/or moles.
CARDINAL KERNELS HAS BIG DAY!
A new student business launched today during lunch! Mrs. Anzevino’s class created Cardinal Kernels, and for just $1 a bag, students could grab freshly popped popcorn. All the labels and flyers were created by the class. The delicious smell filled the school halls all morning! Now THAT’S a smart business plan! They sold out of their product at all three lunches! Way to go, Cardinals!
FARM TO TABLE FOOD TRUCK DAY
BIG CARDINALS INSPIRING LITTLE CARDS
CHS student volunteers visited Hilltop last week to read to our second graders, share their love of reading, and build connections across grade levels. A group also visited the kindergarten classrooms to make Halloween crafts.
We love seeing our Cardinal family learning and growing together!
Monday through Thursday, 9:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.
Friday/Saturday, 9:00 a.m. -5:30 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 1: Daytime Savings Time ends
Tuesday, Nov. 3: Election Day
Thursday–Sunday, Nov 19–22: High School Fall Play, The Importance of Being Earnest. Showtimes are at 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday.
The district would like to honor the special veterans in the lives of our staff and families during our Veterans Day Program at Canfield High School on Friday, Nov. 13, at 8 a.m. The program is open to the public, and we invite our community to join us as we recognize and thank those who have served our country.
If you would like your veteran included in our presentation, please email a photo along with the following information to lreicosky@canfieldschools.net by Nov. 6:
- Veteran’s name
- Branch of service
- Staff member’s name and relationship to the veteran
- Any combat service
We look forward to honoring the veterans who have made a difference in the lives of our Canfield community.
COMMUNITY PARTNER THANK YOU!
We are incredibly excited to announce that the Canfield Rotary has made a generous $10,000 donation to support our technology initiatives!
This incredible gift will directly impact our schools by providing advanced tech tools and updated resources to enhance learning and connectivity. We are so fortunate to have a community partner dedicated to investing in the future.
Thank you, Canfield Rotary, for your ongoing support and for always Service Above Self!
We want to celebrate your successes! Email us at CanfieldUpdate@CanfieldSchools.net.
