RCS District Digest
2026-2027 First Quarter District Newsletter
In August, we introduced the RCS Stellar Staff Recognition Program to celebrate the extraordinary individuals across Reynoldsburg City Schools who go above and beyond to empower minds and inspire success.
Each month, students, staff, families and community members can nominate employees who shine brightly in their role and make a meaningful impact on our schools.
Selected honorees are surprised at their workplace and recognized across District communication channels, highlighting the incredible people who make Reynoldsburg shine.
Check out our website as we update our Stellar Staff each month! Do you know someone who is stellar? Tell us by nominating them here!
As we reflect on a busy and exciting summer as well as the start of a new school year, the Board of Education is proud of the progress happening across Reynoldsburg City Schools!
Congratulations to our students and staff on achieving a 3.5-star rating on the Ohio State Report Card! This accomplishment reflects the hard work and dedication of our school community. Please take a look at our October Regular Board meeting (found on the district website) for more detail on our scores. We look forward to building upon this year's success.
In August, we approved a two-year bargaining agreement with the Reynoldsburg Education Association (REA), including a 2.5% raise each year, reaffirming our commitment to supporting the educators who make a difference in our students’ lives. And to further support education across the state, we approved rejoining the Vouchers Hurt Ohio lawsuit to advocate for fair funding for public schools.
Looking ahead, we continue working with Triad Architects to develop our district’s Master Facilities Plan, which is expected to be completed this winter. This is a key component in beginning levy and bond discussions, which are anticipated to begin in the first quarter of 2027. Please be on the lookout for future communications regarding this important topic, as community participation and input will be crucial in shaping the future of our district’s finances and facilities.
We are also proud to welcome Irene Zengo as our new student board representative! Student voice is an important part of building strong schools, and Irene will bring a valuable perspective to our Board by sharing students’ experiences, ideas, and priorities. We look forward to working with her this year and are excited to see the insight, energy, and fresh perspective she will bring to our conversations and decisions.
As we move through the school year, we look forward to celebrating even more achievements from our students and staff. Thank you to our families, educators, staff, and community members for your continued support of Reynoldsburg City Schools. Together, we will empower minds through critical thinking and inspire success through academic achievement!
This first quarter has been a great and exciting one!
Our high school held its first pep rally, bringing lots of school spirit and excitement to campus. We also had our Homecoming, which gave students a chance to dress up, have fun, and make memories with their friends.
I’ve noticed many students challenging themselves, stepping out of their comfort zones, and getting more involved in school activities. It has also been great seeing our athletes finish their fall sports seasons strong and receiving so much support from our community.
Looking ahead, we there are many events happening in the District, which are great opportunities for students and families to come together and enjoy the season. I’m excited to see what the rest of the school year brings! As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts, questions, or suggestions. You can reach me at irene.zengo@reyn.org.
We are proud to announce that Reynoldsburg City Schools earned a 3.5-star overall rating on the Ohio School Report Card. This is an increase from last year and reflects the progress our students and staff are making. In particular, our continued focus on math, reading, and career and workforce readiness is working. We know there is always more to do, but this progress is worth celebrating. To do a deeper dive, view the presentation our Director of Curriculum, Dr. Jill Dorman, presented to the Board of Education.
Flat Funding Brings Fiscal Challenges
The District faces the challenge of flat funding for fiscal years 2027 through 2031 for two reasons:
- Inadequate State funding of public education
- Over reliance on property taxes for local support
Outside Resources Provide Statistics of Inadequate State Funding:
- Since 2011, state K-12 funding has grown 23%. But school costs, driven by inflation, compensation, and benefits, have grown 44% on average. When funding falls behind costs at this pace, local property taxes are often a district’s only option to fill the gap. Source: Ohio LSC data via Signal Cleveland, 2025.
- In 1975, Ohio homeowners covered 46% of school property taxes, and businesses covered the rest. Today, homeowners carry 67.5%, while the business share has been cut by more than a third. That shift happened at the state level, not in Reynoldsburg City Schools. Source: Fleeter & Browning, Ohio Education Policy Institute, Sept. 2025.
- Ohio used to cover 46% of the cost of running schools. Today, the state covers just 32%, leaving local taxpayers to make up more of the difference every year. Source: Fleeter & Browning, Ohio Education Policy Institute, Sept. 2025.
Can you highlight any buildings that have seen growth or improvement in attendance this quarter?
Our schools are making great strides in attendance!
Waggoner Road Junior High School had 252 students with perfect attendance in the first quarter. You can see the perfect attendance numbers by school below. Herbert Mills STEAM Elementary School is showing a 5% improvement in Q1 and Summit Road STEM Elementary, Taylor Road Elementary, and Waggoner Road Junior Road show 3-4% improvement between demographic groups.
Waggoner Road Junior High is by far our most involved SITG champion and is well deserving of recognition for Assistant Principal April Oates' dedication to improving attendance in their building. They are seeing wonderful results. She has been heavily involved in improving attendance in the building and they have been engaged in preventative practices year to year. The same is true for Summit Road STEM Elementary School; Principal Matt Jacobs and School Counselor Sam Sargent have been very involved in improving attendance and their data shows promise in this."
By the Numbers — Q1 Perfect Attendance by Building:
RHS SC: 161 students (includes EFCTC and CCP students)
RHS LC: 194 students (includes EFCTC and CCP students)
SMBR: 259 students
WRJH: 253 students
FRES: 78 students
HMES: 64 students
RHES: 132 students
SRES: 145 students
SUES: 112 students
TRES: 98 students
WRES: 60 students (352 with 95% attendance or better)
Slate Ridge Elementary School is home to roughly 500 students in grades K through 5. When you walk through the front doors, you see a bright mural of toucans with a big message. It says, “...Be the kid who is generous. Be the kid who can get along. Be the kid who does the right thing. BE THE NICE KID.”
At Slate Ridge, learning and building character go hand in hand. They follow the RISE framework, which stands for Respect, Integrity, Self-control and Engagement. Students are celebrated for their success through positive referrals and prizes from the Toucan Store. They also have regular RISE assemblies to learn and celebrate together.
Staff are not the only ones supporting this framework. The PBIS Jr. Ambassadors are a group of students who help run the monthly awards and Toucan Store. There is also a separate group of students called the Safety Patrol Ambassadors. These students lead by example by helping classmates and delivering food boxes. They meet weekly for leadership training.
School spirit is huge at Slate Ridge. Kids love dressing up for Jersey Day to promote good attendance. Parents come in for Morning Treat with The Toucans as well. They get to have a treat with their students and meet with teachers and staff.
Slate Ridge has many special events. In late October, they have their annual Multicultural Fall Festival. It's an incredible celebration with cultural outfits, displays, food, music and more! Regular family nights are informal events that center around hanging out and building community. The school hosts these regularly. Then, they host a Family Literacy Festival in the new year. It is a night full of games and activities to help students build strong reading skills.
Through weekly newsletters, updates and direct parent contact, Slate Ridge makes sure everyone stays in the loop. By working together, the Toucan community creates a safe, supportive place where everyone can succeed!
We’ve all been there. Plans change, problems arise and new opportunities present themselves. By centering adaptability in our values, our District is preparing for the unforeseen. 💪
We embrace a growth mindset that allows for continuous improvement. This mindset empowers us all to develop the skills needed to respond to challenges, adapt and succeed in diverse environments. 🌱
What outcome do we expect to see from adaptability? Measurable Growth. 📈
Whether it be testing scores, event surveys or any other metric, adaptability allows us to make real change possible.
