The Aurora School District once again topped the list of Portage County’s 12 school districts, not necessarily something to get too excited about. However, unlike last year, Aurora was the only Portage district rated “excellent” by the state, and the only one to meet “adequate yearly progess,” part of the federally mandated No Child Left Behind Act.”We’re excited about being rated excellent again. We’ve done six years in a row now. We’re obviously pleased,” Aurora Superintendent Russ Bennett said Tuesday.
Aurora met 29 of 30 possible indicators, including student test scores in grades three through 11, graduation rates and attendance. Bennett said the district focuses on reviewing data and students and the district upgrades curriculum “consistently.”
“It’s not just about students learning for us. It’s about students mastering the content. We hold ourselves to a very high standard,” he said.
Be glad you live here and not in other parts of the county. How do you feel about our schools?
This year the school supplies were 35 bucks and the school fees 35 bucks along with three boxes of kleenex, wipes etc.
They are nickle-diming the parents. most have multiple kids in school and multiple fees.
What’s next, buying toilet paper? Gas for the teachers cars? bring in lightbulbs?
And now that housing prices are going down will reassesments reflect the diminished value and will my taxes go down too?
I have no problem sending in kleenex and wipes since our kids are using them and hopefully the wipes help cut down the passing of colds etc… I have no problem paying the supply fee even though I wish I knew what we were getting for it. But I have a problem with the fact that we get these school supply lists that aren’t accurate. I’m tired of buying stuff that wasn’t needed or having to run out on the second day of school and find some additional supply that wasn’t on the list and now cannot be found.
I think that if the school is trying to get more money out of us they should make some effort to appear more organized.
And why do each of my kids get a mailing from the bus garage when they ride the same bus???
Why should we give another dollar of our tax money to a school system that is helping to churn out self-obsessed brats with a sense of entitlement? The kids that don’t buy into this are ostracized. The principal at Leighton is not only disliked by the parents but the staff as well and all of the real $ go to administrative fees and not to the teachers who actually deserve it. Then they ask for supply money & snot rags? Are they kidding? I’m sorry but I’ve had to spend all of my extra money at Limited 2 so that the little brats in this town don’t look down their noses at my kids who by the way are bored stiff in elementary school because they aren’t being challenged because no child can be left behind (or in special ed as it would ruin their fragile egos).
I know there is always going to be petty knit-picking in any school district and Aurora is no exception. Are there ‘self-absorbed brats’ in the sytem? Absolutely! I believe they are more a product of their ‘self-absorbed’ parents than the school system, though, which is what you bought into when you chose to live in a high income area like Aurora. Go live in Hudson, Solon or Beechwood and then tell me about self-absorbed! I think Aurora does a great job of balancing their small town charm with huge growth in recent years. I am trying to take the larger view that my children are competing in a world economy, not just the kids from Chagrin Falls and Kenston. No school system is perfect, but ours is excellent and remains an absolute bargain. This is the first time in many years they have asked for new tax money, and even if it passes, Aurora will still be below most of the area school districts in tax support while delivering a better rating. In fact, they built Leighton School without any additional taxes so I know they only ask when they really need it. I’m not happy about the extra fees or the request for additional taxes (being the good Republican I am) but I do know that if you believe in something you should believe all the way to your pocketbook, as painful as it is. I will vote for this levy for my kids, your kids and the children yet to come because I realize the importance of financial support and the risks of not providing the children with a top-notch education so they can continue to bring pride and leadership to Aurora and the rest of the country. As far as property values go, excellent schools are one of the main considerations families consider when looking for a house. The better the schools, the higher the property values. There are some Aurora homeowners that would feel a ‘pinch’ from a couple $35 fees and new taxes, but those people should also realize their children are getting a huge educational bargain as the rest of the property owners are footing the majority of the bill for an excellent education for their kids. I hope that once all the facts on the levy come out, most voters will see it as a necessary expense for the growth Aurora has seen over the last 10 years and will see in the next 10.
From my personal experience, the principal of Leighton School is a good person doing a good job. Sure, i have had disagreements with him on a variety of small issues, but by-in-large he does a fine job.This blog does not exsist for personal attacks, however Popo’s comment is a personal opinion of the poster and does not represent the blog’s position. This is a place for open discussion, and with a public position comes public discourse.
If persons with other opinions and views wish to share them then please do. We will not drag anyone throuth the mud however.
We have a great superintendent too!
Will the poster who left a comment on tuesday please resend it
there was a crash and a backup from yesterday
thanks
Olive says, “here’s the posting, i found it”. But if you would like to repost please do
I would just ask voters to think about the type of schools that want in their community. I hear folks saying that they don’t want to pay more taxes regardless of what they are for. I agree that funding the schools through local taxes is not the appropriate method but that is a battle that can only be solved by the politicians at the state level. I would hate to see that a child’s education is not worth a few extra dollars each month. I understand that it may cause some to pinch pennies but isn’t a child’s future worth the sacrifice.
Mr. Bennett has done a tremendous job of asking for only what the district needs. He is not asking for $2,000,000 dollar library like the one just finished in Orange, or a new high school like in Twinsburg, or a state of the art pool built in Solon. He is asking for more classrooms, updated facilities and few more teachers. The current reality is that student body is growing and will continue to grow in the next 5 to 10 years. I personally don’t think that my child will learn best with 30 or 35 kids in a class. The class sizes may not be there yet but will head in that direction without the necessary support of the community.
The $70 in fees and supplies mentioned above may be very minimal if the district can’t pass school levies. Parents may be facing fees for every club or activity their children are involved in. It would be disheartening to see my neighbors and friends have to pay $250.00 per child per season in order for their children to participate in athletics. Just ask the parents with children attending the West Geauga, Berkshire, or the Cardinal school districts.
Let’s remember that Aurora offers a great education without spending the dollars of similar districts (the district’s treasurer can provide you with financial details for Aurora and the neighboring districts). Take the time to learn about the upcoming levy and make an informed vote. Aurora has been a great community to raise children, let’s continue that tradition. Say YES to the schools.