Talawanda School District

Check out highlights from the start of the 2026-2027 school year:

1. What's Happening in TSD
2. Curriculum Updates
3. School Finance Update
4. Legislative Update
5. Invitation from the Superintendent

Study hard & dream big!

A primary focus area has been increasing the THS graduation rate. We had a 91.7% graduation rate eight years ago. We know getting students across the finish line through graduation is one key indicator to a student’s future success.

Our report card has been released. The great news is that we received 4.5 stars out of 5 stars as a district! Our graduation rate is outstanding at 99.4% (4 year graduation rate is 99.6% and the 5 year graduation rate is 99.1%). We received 5 stars as a district in Progress, Gap Closing, and Graduation as a district. We received 4 Stars in Achievement and 3 Stars in Early Literacy and College, Career, Workforce, and Military Readiness as a district. Bogan has increased its performance from 3 stars to 3.5 stars. THS, TMS, Kramer, and Marshall received 4 stars overall. Three stars means we have met the standards. We have performed above the baseline expectation or exceeded the state standards for all of our buildings and within the district. This is excellent news.

The rating is very good, but there is always room for improvement. Focusing on Early Literacy (evaluating reading improvement) and proficiency for students K-3, while tracking how many students show growth has been and continues to be the focus. Increasing the Achievement and College, Career, Workforce, and Military Readiness are additional focus areas. We are cognizant of being focused on growing the whole child, and we know report card data is just one piece of the puzzle.

THS just completed its first quarter. 432 students earned honor roll status. Four students received commendations for the National Merit Scholarship Program. These four students were recognized for their high achievement. Two of those students have moved on to become semi-finalists as possible National Merit Scholarship recipients. Our small school district rivals all of the Butler County districts with the high number of recognitions in this prestigious area.

TMS continues to review, revise, and implement their Positive Behavior and Intervention Supports (PBIS). Students are still earning Brave Bucks which they may now use to purchase items earlier than in the past. Students have helped identify items and services they would like to purchase with the Brave Bucks. The goal is to reward students for demonstrating positive behaviors earlier.

The TMS team is also continuing its instructional decisions by working in their grade levels and departments. The staff is also working vertically to improve instruction and student achievement.

The elementary buildings have implemented the fall third Grade ELA assessments in October. Third grade students will have another opportunity to take this same assessment in the spring.

The elementary buildings have partnered with Miami University and their student athletes to bring back the Class @ the Court in November. Students in K-5 will have an opportunity to see a basketball game, participate in half time activities, and get to meet with student athletes. The Miami University student athletes are great role models for our elementary students.

Our intent is to provide you with sound bites in regard to school finance. We have a great deal of information on our website (www.talawanda.org) where you may dig deeper. We have heard from many that schools need to live within their budget and property taxes and the general cost of living have gone up making it impossible to survive! Many people do not understand the very complex and ever changing funding models for public schools, and therefore believe schools are well funded. However, we know that the system isn’t equal for every student in the state of Ohio, and we know that there are many factors negatively impacting K-12 education funding in Ohio.

We have an amazing community that supports our students and staff. We know that our schools are part of the bedrock of a safe and healthy community. We also know that a dollar doesn’t go as far as it used to.

We can’t cover everything in one meeting, newsletter, Board of Education meeting, video update, or other forms of communications. We hope these newsletters assist with making some areas easier to understand.

Talawanda is on the Guarantee. This means Talawanda is held harmless if our student enrollment or changing property wealth were to decline over a specified time period. Our student population has ebbed and flowed meaning some years we have a few more students, some years we stay the same, and some years we see a slight decline. Overall, we are flat with student enrollment.

The Guarantee money comes from the State of Ohio. We receive approximately $2,398 per student. The rest of the money needed to educate a Talawanda student comes from the school district income tax, some federal money, and an over reliance on property taxes that you pay. We have other funding streams such as Medicaid reimbursements, tuition from other districts, and investment income which make up approximately 7% of our funding.

Without the Guarantee, Talawanda sits at the lowest possible state share of 10%. This means the State of Ohio would pay the minimum 10% state share to our district (approximately $809 per student). There have been discussions to eliminate the Guarantee which would hurt the Talawanda School district and its students. We then would need to cut and/or ask for additional funding from our already over burdened tax payers.

Other school districts receive a different amount per student. The Fair School Funding Model has not been totally funded by our state. Due to these differences, each district is competing against different funding procedures determined by our legislators resulting in some districts receiving more state share funding and some, like Talawanda, receiving less.

An example that I like to share is a student in TSD would receive (on the Guarantee) approximately $2,398 while in Talawanda. If that same student attended a different district or even a career tech school, the other district or career tech school would receive more money from the state in its per pupil share compared to Talawanda. If the student went to a charter or parochial school and received the Ed Choice Voucher ($6,166 for K-8 and $8,408 for 9-12), that school would also receive more money for that student than Talawanda. The student's strengths and needs have not changed. Why is the student worth more in the other districts (Ohio state share)? We will provide more information on this topic in future newsletters.

School funding in Ohio was found unconstitutional in 1997. A recent appellate court also ruled that school funding in Ohio is unconstitutional. How did Ohio get here? What needs to happen? This may be too much to address in one conversation or newsletter. Let’s start digging into some of this…

In the mid 1970s, the federal government passed legislation to support and educate students with disabilities (PL 94-142 and subsequent IDEA authorizations). The federal government planned to support school districts by providing 40% of the special education costs. Today, the government has only provided 10% of that promise. Our Board of Education is considering a resolution to support 40 by 2040. This is an initiative to have the federal government provide 40% of the special education costs, as promised, by the year 2040.

Special education costs have risen from 3.7 million dollars to 8.3 million dollars today. It is the right thing to provide an education to ALL students. Please join us in contacting our legislators in support of the 40 by 2040 initiative.

Stay tuned as we will share more information on this topic in the future!

Contact Ohio Elected Officials

Come meet with the Superintendent at the Administrative Offices at 131 W. Chestnut Street Oxford, OH 45056:

November 2, 2026 at 4 PM to share informational items on the new Attendance Law, 40 by 2040 federal funding, and Talawanda financials.

November 13, 2026 at 7:30 or 8 AM to share information regarding property taxes, school funding, and Talawanda financials.

Bring your coffee and you may ask questions and I can share more detailed information.

You can always learn more about Talawanda Schools and other relevant information for public schools in Ohio by following the Superintendent's Quarterly Videos and Newsletters.