Former Student Creates Professional Logo at No Cost to District
The Nordonia Hills City School District Board of Education met Monday evening to approve superintendent goals, hire new staff members, and showcase a professionally designed new logo created by student Keyshaun Smith at no cost to taxpayers.
New Knight Logo Represents Unity and Strength
Smith, a former Nordonia student whom Superintendent Casey Wright called “the most talented individual I’ve ever met in person,” spent six months developing the new district logo featuring a knight figure within a shield design. The logo incorporates multiple symbolic elements: a shield representing protection and unity, a forward-looking knight symbolizing courage and determination, and the letter “N” anchoring the design to Nordonia’s identity.
“This isn’t just a logo. It’s what it means to be a knight,” Smith said during his presentation, which included a professional video showcasing student and staff testimonials about district pride.
Wright emphasized the district’s cost-conscious approach to implementing the new branding, stating the logo will be phased in gradually as existing materials need replacement rather than requiring immediate wholesale changes.
Superintendent Sets Five-Year Strategic Goals
The board approved Wright’s five key goals for the upcoming year, focusing on long-term facilities planning, community communication, and student achievement.
Wright’s primary goal involves developing a 25-year master facilities plan to address aging infrastructure needs. The plan, expected to be presented in January, will provide a roadmap for future operations and bond requirements based on community feedback and historical district analysis.
Additional goals include establishing a communications committee to reach residents without school-age children, continuing community engagement initiatives, implementing professional learning communities to boost student achievement, and personal leadership development through networking with other educational leaders.
Treasurer Kyle Kipper outlined complementary goals focusing on internal operations, including expanding staff procedural manuals, streamlining the annual financial reporting process, and collaborating on the facilities master plan.
District Hires Intervention Specialists After Staff Reductions
Despite recent budget-driven staff cuts, the board approved hiring seven new intervention specialists to work with special education students – positions Wright described as “non-negotiable” legal requirements.
New hires include John Clay, Joe Callahan, Jen Rail, Caitlyn Puroy, Jasmine Thomas, Brandy Wentz, and Khloe Kramer, all specializing in working with students who have learning disabilities or multiple disabilities. Several bring experience from other districts including Garfield Heights, Revenna, and Akron Public Schools.
The district also hired regular education teachers Ethan Nario-Redmond for fourth grade at Rushwood, Amanda Scarupa for middle school English, Jason Zanelli for physical education, Jeff Pupki as band director, Hannah Beck for part-time kindergarten, and Mindy Strahan for first grade.
Judge Offers Educational Programs
Stow Municipal Court Judge Cynthia Curtiss introduced herself to the board and offered free educational presentations about legal consequences for middle and high school students. Curtiss, appointed by Governor DeWine after Memorial Day, brings 35 years of litigation experience and wants to educate students about “tag along consequences” of criminal convictions, including driver’s license suspension, court costs, and limitations on record expungement.
Financial Changes Ahead
The board addressed upcoming changes to state-mandated financial forecasting requirements. Beginning this year, districts must submit three-year projections instead of five-year forecasts, with deadlines shifting from November and May to August and February. Kipper noted the earlier timeline creates challenges since revenue and budget information may not be fully available when forecasts are due.
Meeting Changes and Committee Updates
The board approved moving the November meeting from Nov. 17 to Nov. 24 due to a capital conference conflict. The October meeting will incorporate the State of the Schools presentation on Oct. 13, where the board will also approve the required financial forecast, keeping the regular meeting on Oct. 20. Committee reports highlighted the Nordonia Foundation’s successful golf outing raising approximately $18,000 and the implementation of a $700 family cap on sports and band fees.
The next regular board meeting will be held Monday, Sept. 22, at 7 p.m. at Northfield Elementary School.
