The Raider Review
June 2026 Edition
A message from Dr. Jarred Zapolnik, Superintendent of South Range Local Schools
Dear South Range Community,
As we conclude another outstanding school year, I want to thank our students, staff, families, Board of Education, and community members for making 2025-2026 a remarkable year at South Range Local Schools. Throughout the year, our Raider community continued to exemplify our vision of Getting Better Every Day (GBED) through academic achievement, extracurricular excellence, service to others, and an unwavering commitment to student success. As we reflect on the year and look toward the future, I am proud to share several highlights that demonstrate The Raider Way in action.
The Raider Way: Our Foundation for Success
Our work remains grounded in four pillars:
High Expectations – Encouraging excellence in academics, athletics, the arts, and extracurricular activities.
Communication & Collaboration – Building strong partnerships among students, staff, families, and the community.
Student Performance – Using data-driven processes to maximize student growth and achievement.
Safety & Resources – Ensuring a safe, supportive, and well-resourced learning environment for all students.
These pillars continue to guide our efforts as we prepare students for success in college, careers, military service, and life.
High Expectations
As another school year comes to a close, we celebrate the countless accomplishments of our students. From the classroom to the stage, from the athletic fields to community service projects, our Raiders consistently demonstrated commitment, perseverance, and excellence. Congratulations to all of our spring athletes, coaches, and support personnel on another successful season. Your dedication, sportsmanship, and representation of South Range made our community proud.
Likewise, our students involved in music, drama, speech and debate, band, choir, and other end-of-year performances showcased incredible talent and countless hours of preparation. These experiences not only highlight student achievement but also reflect the strong culture of involvement that defines South Range. Thank you to our teachers, advisors, coaches, directors, and families who continue to encourage students to pursue excellence in all they do.
Communication & Collaboration
Please join me in celebrating our staff! We proudly recognize the following exceptional staff members for their upcoming retirements:
Donna Evans, Driver
Kim Massucci, Kindergarten Teacher
Cindy Maynard, Elementary School Counselor
Wayne Allegretto, High School Science Teacher
Their decades of service and impact on students exemplify the heart of South Range!
Student Performance
This school year brought historic academic success for South Range Local Schools. Preliminary Ohio State Testing data suggest that for the first time since the implementation of Ohio's Next Generation Assessments more than a decade ago, South Range earned an 80% or higher on all seven of the Ohio English Language Arts (ELA) Reading tests! That's right, seven for seven grade levels at 80% or higher! In addition, South Range students achieved some of the highest academic performance results in district history!
This accomplishment represents a historic milestone for our district and reflects the collective efforts of our students, teachers, support staff, administrators, and families. These outcomes are evidence that our commitment to high-quality instruction, targeted interventions, data-driven decision making, and student support continues to produce exceptional results: The Raider Way Student Performance Goal! While we celebrate these achievements, we remain committed to continuous improvement and ensuring every student continues to grow academically each year.
Safety & Resources
Beginning next school year, visitors will notice enhancements to our building safety procedures through the implementation of the Raptor Visitor Management System. This state-of-the-art safety platform will strengthen visitor screening, improve communication capabilities, support emergency management procedures, and enhance student reunification processes when necessary. We appreciate the efforts of our Peace and Safety Team for securing grant funding that made this important investment possible.
Expanding High School Opportunities
South Range High School continues to expand opportunities for students through Honors coursework, College Credit Plus (CCP), workforce development programs, industry-recognized credentials, pre-apprenticeships, and career pathway experiences. These opportunities help ensure students graduate with the skills, experiences, and credentials necessary to succeed in today's workforce and post-secondary environments.
Final Forms
As we prepare for the 2026-2027 school year, keeping student information current helps us maintain accurate communication, health records, emergency contacts, and transportation information. As such, our district will utilize FinalForms, an online forms and data‑management system designed to streamline the way families complete school paperwork. FinalForms will allow parents and guardians to complete, update, and electronically sign all required academic and athletic forms for their students in one secure location. We will share additional information regarding annual updates and required forms throughout the summer.
Looking Ahead
Finally, be on the lookout for a redesigned district website in the future. Our goal is to improve accessibility, communication, navigation, and the overall user experience for students, families, staff, and community members. We look forward to sharing more information as this project progresses.
Thank You, Raider Nation
As we close another successful school year, I want to thank everyone who contributes to making South Range such a special place. The accomplishments we celebrate today are possible because of the collective efforts of our students, staff, families, Board of Education, and community partners. Together, we will continue to build upon our successes and remain committed to our mission of helping every Raider get better every day. As always, stay informed by visiting our district’s website: South Range Local Schools.
Have a safe, enjoyable, and well-deserved summer.
Jarred
Dr. Jarred Zapolnik
Superintendent
📑 Keep Up to Date with All Board Policies 📑
South Range Schools works each month to revise, update, and adopt several NEOLA policies.
Community members are encouraged to familiarize themselves with these policies, as they play a critical role in guiding the district's operations and decision-making. All board policies are available for review on our website at BoardDocs.
South Range Board of Education
Mrs. Terri Lally (President)
Mrs. Liz Johnson (Vice President)
Dr. Jack Dawson (member)
Mr. Tyler Bates (member)
Mrs. Laura Chismar (member)
Congratulations, Taylor Dado! Taylor qualified for the Division IV State Track Meet with a school record-breaking time of 58.66 in the 400-meter dash. Taylor finished seventh at the Division IV State Track Meet!
The 27th Annual Raider Regatta was one for the books! This beloved SR tradition is as much a lesson in teamwork and ingenuity as it is in math, science, and English. The Sophomore Class set sail in boats they created from cardboard and other miscellaneous materials. The regatta is the culmination of a math, science, and English project. Students plan, design, and submit reports about their boats, all while having fun with the assignment, selecting themes and corresponding costumes to set sail across the pond!
The news even joined in on the fun. Read the news stories below and take a look at our Raider Regatta Recap!
Shout-out to Miss Joseph and Mr. Mancuso for all their effort, guidance, and support of this wonderful event!
Raider Regatta sets sail in North Lima | News, Sports, Jobs - The Vindicator
Raider Regatta rallies South Range High School community in North Lima, Ohio
South Range hosts annual Raiders Regatta | Archives | wfmj.com
End-of-the-Year Update from Mr. Matos, SRES Principal
It is hard to believe that another school year is in the books at SRES! I am happy to share the end-of-year festivities, celebrations, and events. Thank you to our parents, families, and the SR community for supporting our students this school year. Have a wonderful summer!
End-of-Year Update from Mrs. Ware, SRMS Principal
As we begin summer break, I want to take a moment to thank our students, staff, and families for the hard work, support, and commitment you have shown throughout the year. Together, you have made this a truly successful and rewarding school year.
Our students have demonstrated tremendous growth—academically, socially, and emotionally. From classroom achievements to extracurricular involvement, we have seen so many examples of students living out The Raider Way. We are incredibly proud of their efforts and the positive impact they have made within our school community.
Thank you again for your continued partnership and support. It has been an honor to work with your children each day. We hope you have a safe, relaxing, and enjoyable summer, and we look forward to welcoming everyone back in the fall! Take a look at some end-of-the year highlights inside and outside of the classroom for our SRMS students.
Career Exploration
Students participated in a hands-on budgeting simulation using macaroni noodles as their “money.” They made real-life spending decisions and divided their noodles across multiple categories such as food, housing, savings, and entertainment. They then rolled a dice to land on “chance cards,” where they experienced unexpected financial gains or expenses during multiple rounds based on their budgeting choices, making the activity both fun and realistic. This helped build financial awareness and decision-making skills.
Students also explored a variety of careers in an exciting and interactive way using VR goggles, immersing themselves in real-world job experiences. This hands-on opportunity sparked curiosity and helped students begin thinking about future pathways in a meaningful and engaging way.
Building Trades
Students in our Building Trades class put their skills to work by designing and constructing their own birdhouses from start to finish. This hands-on project highlighted their craftsmanship, creativity, and problem-solving while creating something for which they can be proud.
YSU English Festival
The 7-9th graders attended the YSU English Festival, April 23rd. They participated in a number of activities and competed in various literary-based events. Winners included:
Noah Betross, 3rd place team member in Not-So-Trivial Pursuit
Dennis Gonatas, 2nd place team member in Not-So-Trivial Pursuit
Adrianna Ware, 1st place team member in Not-So-Trivial Pursuit
Kaleb Frenger and Addy Bailey, 3rd place team members in Connections
Vanessa Stratton, 2nd place team member in Connections
and Zac Judin, who placed 5th in the top ten in Impromptu (impromptu essay-writing).
This year's visiting authors were Maggie Steifvater, Chris Crowe, and Randy Ribay.
7th and 8th Grade Dance
Our 7th and 8th graders had an incredible time at the Spring Dance, enjoying great music, lots of laughter, and time with friends. It was a fun-filled evening that created lasting memories and showcased the positive spirit of our Raider community!
An Update from Mr. Szolek, SRHS Principal
The end of the school year is special at SRHS. It is a season of celebration and reflection as we share our students' growth, success, and wish our seniors the best as they begin their next chapter. Have a great summer Raiders!
As summer break begins, the cafeteria team has plenty of exciting memories to celebrate and even more to look forward to in the year ahead! This year, students had the opportunity to explore a variety of new lunch entrées inspired by flavors from around the world. Some of their favorites included our homemade chicken ramen soup bowl, veggie stir-fry action station, homemade pepperoni rolls, and ravioli and tortellini dishes.
We also brought nutrition education into the classroom through lessons with elementary and middle school students. Topics included the food groups, healthy snack choices, the importance of protein and its role in our bodies and identifying hidden sugars in popular foods and beverages.
Looking ahead to the 2026–2027 school year, our cafeteria’s biggest focus will be expanding our “Farm to Fork” program. We will continue serving fresh apples from Huffman’s Fruit Farm in Salem each week, while also strengthening our partnership with Farm Bridge in Deerfield, Ohio. Their organic eggs and locally sourced sausage will be featured on our breakfast menu every Tuesday and Thursday.
Stay tuned for more exciting announcements as we continue building partnerships that bring fresh, local foods to our students and school community!
2024-2025 Graduates of South Range
If you are a parent of or a student who graduated in 2024-2025, please scan the QR code to complete an Exiting Student Survey so we know how you have been doing since graduation. The survey should only take about five minutes. Thank you for your feedback: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScAcfL-0kHb17bCfuXeeq4ha1R9Xz2luko6zwKkIkKvicdJsg/viewform?usp=header
Senior Awards 5/21/2026
Senior Awards 5/21/2026
