This year’s 339 Anthony Wayne High School graduates are pursuing a wide range of opportunities after graduation, including higher education, military service, workforce, apprenticeships and gap year exploration, Superintendent Kevin Herman reported to the board of education during its June 29 meeting.
The 68.7 percent who plan to attend a four-year college and the 7.7 percent enrolled in a two-year college or professional school received were offered $17.2 million in scholarships.
Of that, 382 scholarships totaling $8.5 million were accepted. Of those, 92 scholarships were funded by area organizations and individuals, for a combined value of $120,000.
The top 5 percent (15 students) earned $5,000 Governor’s Merit Scholarships and 13 received athletic scholarships. One student earned the $20,000 National Coca-Cola Scholars Scholarship; one received the full-tuition The Ohio State University Eminence Scholarship; and one was awarded the Ohio Association of Secondary School Administrators Scholarship.
Students were accepted into 164 colleges and will attend 52 this fall, including top picks of Bowling Green State University, the University of Toledo, Owens Community College and The Ohio State University. The most popular major is nursing, followed by programs in business, engineering and education.
At least 10 percent of graduates plan to enter the workforce, while 4.1 percent will enter a job training or apprenticeship program. This year, 3.5 percent are joining the military as active duty or National Guard service members, and one student, Garrett Smith, was selected to join the U.S. Naval Academy. About 2.6 percent are taking a gap year before pursuing higher education.
“Whether they’re looking at additional education, enlistment or employment, we are working to build programs to help them meet these goals,” Herman said. “It’s really important to us that we support students where they are at and give them the skills to meet those goals – and we’re looking at new ways to do that. I’m excited about the futures of all of our graduates. It’s a great group of kids.”
During the meeting, the board also:
-Congratulated the boys tennis doubles team of Brody Sutto and Will Black for finishing third in the state tournament and earning OHSAA All-State honors. Sutto just graduated and is heading to the University of Findlay while Black will be a senior and continue as a member of the team.
-Thanked outgoing treasurer Kerri Johnson for her 20 years of service with Anthony Wayne Local Schools. Johnson is retiring after 34 years in school finance on July 31. Ray Greene is taking over as treasurer.
-Listened to parent Roy Collaco encourage the use of data, facts and critical thinking in decision-making, rather than the opinions of a small, vocal minority. In 2021, when the board voted to utilize hybrid and remote learning during the pandemic, some predicted that it would impact student performance and test scores, he said. A Stanford Educational Opportunities report shows that a decline in reading and math scores began in 2015 and, in the decade since, resulted in 83 percent of districts losing ground in reading scores and 70 percent in math scores. However, Anthony Wayne students, during that period, gained 1 grade level in reading and 1.5 grade levels in math.
Collaco also pointed out that a small group accused the district of financial mismanagement in 2023, but that AWLS was one of just 8 percent of Ohio districts to receive the Ohio Auditor of State’s Award for accounting excellence.
He thanked Johnson and Herman for their diligence in preparing students for the future, and encouraged the board to continue paying attention to facts, not online conjecture.
-Approved extending Herman’s contract for one year.
-Heard Johnson say that real estate revenue is up about $3 million because of the 20-mill minimum required by the state for school funding. Even with the lowest cost per-pupil compared to other county schools, AWLS still operates paycheck to paycheck. Johnson said she believes the district has kept spending in check but that increases in costs have impacted the bottom line.
-Approved the hiring of special education aides Kimberly Smucker, Rebecca Meeker and Ashton Hooley; intervention specialist Autumn Cornell; food service workers Matthew Hoffer and Penny Sledge; and custodian Myranda Portentoso. New staff members will be present during the August meeting.
-Approved property, fleet and liability insurance with the Ohio School Plan through Hylant for $164,772 and cyber insurance with Crum & Forster for $8,500.
-Approved six federal grants totaling $1.4 million.
-Approved overnight trips for the girls soccer team to Camp Michindoh for a team camp and to Strongsville for the Adidas National Showcase. Parents are responsible for transportation and other costs.
-Approved educational agreements with Wood County Juvenile Detention Center and with Special Transportation Service Company to provide transport for students who have an education plan that requires service outside the district.
-Heard that the district is always looking to hire classified staff, including custodians, groundskeepers and food service workers.
-Heard that the next meeting will be on Monday, Aug. 10 at 8 a.m. at the board office.
