District Newsletter

Dear Hilltopper Community,

Welcome to the 2026-27 school year!

Topper Talk is the district's monthly e-Newsletter containing highlights and inside looks at the great things going on within our schools. It will also provide important news regarding district finances, business affairs and reminders regarding annual notices.

For your daily fix of Hilltopper content, make sure you follow our official district social media pages:

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For additional news, including weekly newsletters from our individual school buildings, please visit chardonschools.org.

Here's to a great school year!

Chardon High School has been ranked among the top high schools across the United States according to U.S. News and World Report.

In the latest rankings, CHS ranked:

• 1,388th nationally (top 5% of all high schools);
• 50th in Ohio (out of 974 high schools);
• 16th in the Cleveland, OH Metro Area.

This impressive ranking is a testament to the hard work and dedication shown on a daily basis by our CHS staff and students and it is a clear picture of the district’s commitment to high achievement for all students.

For more information, visit U.S. News and World Report, linked at the button below:

The Chardon Local School District cut the ribbon on its new six-court tennis complex — designated as the Rohr Tennis Center — during a ceremony on Aug. 11.

The construction of the new tennis facility has been made possible through an extraordinary gift from an anonymous benefactor of $1.2 million, made for the benefit of current and future generations of Hilltopper students.

At the request of the benefactor, the facility was named in honor of Michael and Marilyn Rohr, recognizing their support for the community and Marilyn’s years of dedicated service as a teacher in the Chardon Local School District and the profound impact she has had on countless students, colleagues and members of the community.

After the ribbon cutting, the ceremony concluded with a ceremonial first serve, followed by friendly competition between our Hilltopper student athletes.

Please join us in welcoming some of the new members of our certified staff for the 2026-27 school year:

• Nicole Brazofsky (Intervention Specialist)
• Alli Dickman (Intervention Specialist)
• Mallory Dondorfer (Teacher)
• Lindsey Dzura (Nurse)
• Christopher Gehrke (Teacher)
• Patrick Gorman (Intervention Specialist)
• Amber Haldi (Teacher)
• Amanda London (Teacher)
• Richard Marinelli (Teacher)
• Katie Osenar (Teacher)
• Gabrielle Poundstone (Teacher)
• Elizabeth Roche (Teacher)

Welcome to Chardon Schools!

Chardon Local Schools continues to balance high-performing academic growth with rigorous, award-winning financial management in support of Success Plan 2028. Here is how we are delivering results for our students and community:

• Proven Academic Success: Through an updated curriculum and steadily increasing test scores, our district remains firmly on track to achieve our goal as a model school district by 2028.

• Expanded Career Pathways: Enrollment continues to grow in both Career Tech Education (CTE) and College Credit Plus (CCP) programs, equipping students with real-world skills and college credits grounded in our core Portrait of a Hilltopper values.

• Award-Winning Financial Oversight: The district has earned five consecutive award-winning audits, maximizing every tax dollar with guidance from our dedicated Fiscal Advisory Team.

• Strategic Stability Without Tax Increases: To protect day-to-day operations without increasing the financial burden on local taxpayers, the district is moving 1 mill from the Permanent Improvement Fund to the General Fund.

For more information and resources regarding district finances, please visit our treasurer/CFO's page at the button below.

Chardon Local Schools and Communications Director Mason Cole recently received an Award of Excellence from the National School Public Relations Association for the district’s e-Newsletter, Topper Talk.

NSPRA’s Publications and Digital Media Excellence Award program recognizes outstanding education publications including newsletters, digital media, social media, websites and more.

Honors are awarded based on the publication or digital media type as well as organization type and size. Entries, which are collected from across the nation, are judged by a panel of experienced, award-winning professionals.

Topper Talk received the Award of Excellence – the top honor granted in each category.