The end of the school year is typically when we bestow accolades and other honors on our students. This year, Liberty-Benton Elementary and Middle Schools are also being recognized. On April 17, the Ohio Department of Education presented our district with not one, but two Purple Star Awards, an honor all three of our schools now hold. 

 

The distinction is given to schools that show a significant commitment to serving students and families connected to our nation’s armed forces. All awardees meet a set of criteria aimed at meeting the unique wellness and academic needs of Ohio’s military-connected youth. The schools will hold the designation for three years, at which time we may reapply. 

 

Part of what earned L-B this award is our community. Your input and feedback on what you want to see in our schools is invaluable. That is one of the reasons we conduct the Leader in Me survey each year, and now is the time! The information collected helps our schools plan our district-wide Leader in Me curriculum for the following year. Parents, I encourage you to take a few minutes to let us know your thoughts. The survey will be coming from your building principal (if it has not already). The middle school survey recently closed, but parents of elementary students have from April 19-28 to complete this survey, and high school parents will have from April 29-May 7. 

 

As a reminder, state testing is underway for many of our grade levels. Please make sure your child gets enough sleep and has a healthy breakfast leading up to these days so they can be successful on the tests they have worked hard to prepare for all year. 

 

This is the busiest time of year for our students and families, so check out our calendar to make sure you do not miss out! As always … GO EAGLES!

 

 

Mark Kowalski

Superintendent

 

 

 

 

Liberty-Benton Local Schools' all-new PK-8 building is set to open at the start of the 2023-2024 school year and showcases the district’s commitment to academics, arts, athletics as well as safety and security. The facility was thoughtfully designed with input from students, staff, and community members through the required Ohio Facilities Construction Commission’s Educational Visioning process and SHP, the project’s architect, to prioritize student learning in a 21^st century designed building. 

 

In addition to traditional safety measures, such as cameras, door-locking systems, and cutting-edge technology that all were included in the original scope and design, the district has been investigating additional safety enhancements throughout the project. 

 

The Board of Education’s March 29 meeting resulted in a plan to implement additional safety measures in response to community feedback and the district collaboration team’s recommendations. 

 

“We appreciate members of the community coming forward with their concerns and we thank the members of our collaboration team for their time and unwavering efforts,” said Superintendent Mark Kowalski. “It takes a village to protect and educate students in today’s world, and we are grateful for our community’s involvement and continued support.”

 

The state-of-the-art facility features an 800-seat performing arts space, two gymnasiums, a 375-seat commons area, as well as state of the art learning spaces and technology to enhance student learning. The building is being paid for with a combination of dollars from the state-funded Ohio Facilities Construction Commission and a bond issue passed by residents in May of 2019.

Liberty-Benton Quality Profile for 2021-2022

Our staff and students are off and running in 2023. There is no doubt in my mind this will be another exciting year for our Eagle community. I am hopeful for a year of progress and continued growth in the areas of academics, arts, and athletics.  In addition, we will usher in additional facility upgrades.  Most notably, the opening of our new PK-8 facility.  

 

As a reminder, the end of the first semester is January 27. Our staff and students have continued working hard this school year to close the learning gap that widened because of the pandemic. We hope you will see this hard work reflected in your student’s grades and state achievement test scores. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to your child’s teacher(s). 

 

We are now well into the winter sports season. I encourage you to catch a game or match and stay tuned to social media for other upcoming events so you can show your support for our students no matter what their endeavors. I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday break and that 2023 is shaping up to be a great one for you and your loved ones. And as always … GO EAGLES!

 

Mark Kowalski

Superintendent

What a great time to be an Eagle! Most recently, we were awarded 24 of 25 stars on Ohio’s School Report Cards, which give parents/guardians, community members, educators and policymakers’ information about how districts are performing. Schools are graded on Achievement, Progress, Gap Closing, Graduation, and Early Literacy. 

 

Additionally, Liberty-Benton received a grade of A- from Niche, which is designed to help connect students and families with the schools and neighborhoods that suit them best. Niche considers academics, teachers, clubs and activities, sports, resources and facilities, diversity, college prep, administration, and even food when issuing grades. Some of our highlights include:

 

Coming up at the end of this month is third grade reading guarantee testing. As a district, we will administer our own assessments to help tailor instruction for the remainder of the school year.

 

As we progress further into this school year, we will maintain our focus on academics, athletics and the arts so our students have the skills and knowledge they need to be successful in life beyond Liberty-Benton. 

 

Thank you and congratulations to our staff, students and the community on making Liberty-Benton one of the premier learning destinations. As always… GO EAGLES!

 

Mark Kowalski

Superintendent

It is hard to believe, but we are nearly a month into the new school year already. We have had a great start to the year, including some celebratory moments. 

 

Ohio’s School Report Cards were released on September 15 and Liberty-Benton ranked 13th in the state out of 607 districts. This was the first time in two years that report cards were issued because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Replacing the traditional letter grade scoring system is a five-star rating, with one being the lowest and five being the highest. We were one of only three districts in Northwest Ohio that received 24 of 25 stars. Only 32 districts in the entire state received a four or five star rating.

 

Districts were scored on the following: Achievement, Progress, Gap Closing, Graduation and Early Literacy. College, Career, Workforce and Military Readiness is a new category, but districts will not be scored in this category until future years. The report card is only one measure of success for Ohio’s schools, but we are so proud of this accomplishment! Thank you to our staff and students for all of your hard work, and to our community for your continued support. 

 

Our high school students are already realizing the impact of a more modern learning environment thanks to our high school renovations that took place this past summer.  Again, this was made possible by our generous community support of our Bond Issue in May 2019.  I can’t wait for this project to be completed with the grand opening of our new K-8 in August of 2023.

 

Lastly, fall is finally here. I hope everyone enjoys the cooler temperatures and the brilliant fall colors, and don’t forget to support our student-athletes or performing arts students at an upcoming event. And as always … GO EAGLES!

 

Mark Kowalski

Superintendent

 

Sidewalk Superintendent Issue 5

Liberty-Benton is in full spring mode and is barreling toward the end of the school year. This month brings the chorale festival, our spring sports kickoff, and the annual honors recognition. In addition, on March 31, Liberty-Benton Elementary M.O.R.E. gifted program students will present the musical Pirates 2: The Hidden Treasure. Tickets are now available for purchase.  

State assessment season is around the corner for our students.  Some assessments occur this month while the bulk take place in April and the first week of May.  Though these can be stressful for our students and staff, it serves as a good representation of how our students are progressing in their academics and potential for success.

I want to remind our high school students and families to mark their calendars. In-person learning will end May 20 and students will transition to remote learning on May 23-June 2. This will allow our construction crew to get to work renovating our high school so that we are ready to open the doors in September for the start of the new school year. Speaking of next school year, the 2022-2023 calendar has been approved and is available on our website at www.liberty-benton.org.

Big changes are also coming for our fifth graders next year. When the new PK-8 building opens for the 2023-2024 school year, the fifth grade will shift to the middle school. To help students and staff prepare for this transition, fifth graders will attend the current middle school next school year. If your child is entering fifth grade next year, more information will be shared as plans are finalized.

We cannot wait to celebrate the grand opening of our long-awaited Eagle Field House on April 2. The 28,000-square-foot facility will enhance Liberty-Benton’s athletic program for years to come. The Eagle Field House will directly benefit our baseball and softball, soccer, football, track and field, golf, and band and cheer programs, and indirectly benefit all other sports.

I hope you are able to get outside and enjoy the warmer weather in the coming weeks. Until we talk again, as always … GO EAGLES!

With Gratitude,
Mark Kowalski

 

Spring is just around the corner. Well, I hope so anyway, Punxsutawney Phil did see his shadow this year, meaning we may be in for another six weeks of winter. If Mother Nature does bring any more calamity days our way, they will be remote learning days. This will help us end the school year on time, which is more important than ever so we can stay on track with our construction projects. 

 

Speaking of which, I would like to remind our high school students and families that in-person learning will end May 20 this year. Students will transition to remote learning May 23-June 2. We are on a very tight timeline with the renovation of our high school and this will give our construction crew a head start so that our building is ready to open at the beginning of next school year. Rest assured, we will honor all of our usual end-of-year activities, and please mark your calendar for our graduation ceremony, which will be held Sunday, June 5. The location will be announced soon.     

 

In other news, we learned from Hancock Public Health that the omicron variant has subsided in our community. As such, quarantine guidelines have been updated and can be found on our website.  We are approaching two years of dealing with COVID-19.  I know that most of us are experiencing “fatigue” over the virus and its variants. Let us be mindful and respectful of others as we continue to deal with concerns related to COVID-19.

 

Whether or not spring does make its arrival soon, plans are well underway for the 2022-2023 academic year. On Feb. 1, open enrollment and kindergarten registration opened. Open enrollees are accepted on a first-come first-served basis, so if you are a current open enrollment student and plan to come back next year, we encourage you to return your intent form as soon as possible. Please contact Susan Wright or me at [email protected] or 419-422-8526 with any questions. The open enrollment and kindergarten registration forms are available on our website at liberty-benton.org. We cannot wait to meet our class of 2035!

 

As always … GO EAGLES!

 

With Gratitude,

Mark Kowalski

Welcome to 2022! The end of the first semester is January 28, and it is full steam ahead for our staff and students as we head into the second half of this school year.
As you are all aware, we are still dealing with the consequences of COVID-19. Thank you for your continued patience and flexibility as we work through this latest surge in cases and Omicron variant. Currently, mask wearing is optional but is highly encouraged particularly for those who are unvaccinated.

We invite you to attend one of our many performing arts or athletic events this winter. Our high school students are excited to present the musical The Drowsy Chaperone February 25-27. Additionally, our winter sports seasons are underway. A full schedule of events can be found on our website (www.liberty-benton.org) under Athletics.

We are continuing to make progress on our construction projects, and are fortunate that the weather has cooperated thus far this winter. I cannot express how excited I am for these facilities to be complete and for our students to begin taking advantage of all that they have to offer.  

Here’s to a happy and healthy 2022, and more importantly, as always … GO EAGLES!

With Gratitude,
Mark Kowalski

In case you cannot tell by the title of this message, the Christmas season is my favorite. There is just something about the bright lights and decorations, the fresh smell of pine, Christmas music, and of course the cookies!

The season is also a reminder that we are nearing the end of 2021. I am proud of all that our Liberty-Benton school community has accomplished in the first part of this school year and I am looking forward to collaborating with all of you to continue this great work in 2022. Not to mention, January of 2022 means we are one-step closer to opening the doors of our new PK-8 building in September of 2023.

Wishing you all a very merry Christmas and a restful break filled with many new memories.

With Gratitude,
Mark Kowalski

As your school’s food service provider, our goal has always been to provide high-quality, nutritious, healthy, and well-balanced
meals to your child.

With our recent groundbreaking ceremony to improve our district’s facilities, Liberty-Benton Local Schools will be undergoing significant change during the next couple of years. Designing new school facilities comes with hundreds, if not thousands, of decisions about the look and feel of the buildings. Our administration saw this as an opportunity to evaluate the existing Liberty-Benton brand, make upgrades to the brand in order to unify our “look” and create brand guidelines to inform the many building-related decisions to come. Our hope is that going through this branding process will allow for a smooth and successful transition into our new facilities.

It’s hard to believe, but August is already here, and we are quickly gearing up for the start of the 2021-2022 school year. I hope everyone has had a relaxing and enjoyable summer and is ready to dive back into learning. I know our staff is excited to return to the classroom for what we hope will be a more normal year.

According to Dictionary.com, the definition of gratitude is “the quality or feeling of being grateful or thankful.” There is no better way to describe how I am feeling as the 2020-2021 school year ends.

Despite getting another blast of winter April 21, those who are part of the Liberty-Benton family have effectively shaken off the winter blues. The excitement on our campuses is substantial as we return to at least a semi-normal spring.

Liberty-Benton is a busy place these days. From spring sports (complete with spectators - finally!), to student recognition assemblies and the annual Arts Festival, I think we’ve all learned over the last year to never take these rituals for granted. Planning is also well underway for other end of the year activities such as field day, prom and graduation.

In follow-up to my message on March 30, 2021, regarding harassment and bullying in our schools at Liberty-Benton, there continues to be misinformation circulating in the community about a matter that has been under internal investigation for the last few weeks involving reports and allegations of student misconduct, including sexual harassment, in our District.  

At times, there are issues and actions that impact our students. When these happen within our schools, it is our responsibility to fully and independently conduct an investigation.

We take this role very seriously. We have school board policies that adhere to laws and at times, our work leads us to even involve the advice and guidance of legal counsel.

Ensuring the rights of any involved is essential. So, too, is it essential that we protect the integrity of any investigation and subsequent details of proceedings and the discipline of anyone in our schools, regardless of whether they are a student or staff member.

It has been brought to our attention that at times there is online chatter regarding a specific situation. Please know that the protections we can afford to those involved are limited but that it is up to each of us to ensure that we are responsible digital citizens and that we are aware of the impact postings have on others.

As for our schools, we take harassment, bullying and any other behavior that does not comply with our expected student or staff behavior seriously.

Should you be aware of any such misconduct, please report to https://www.publicschoolworks.com/SHL/bullyingMgr.asp?di=1348&dia=n3cvy

Anniversaries are typically fun and joyous occasions. As we mark the one-year anniversary of going to remote learning (March 13, 2020, marked our last day with students, and March 17, 2020, marked our first day of remote learning), joy may not be the exact emotion you use to describe the last year. Challenging, maybe.

Liberty-Benton Local Schools introduces ONLINE FREE AND REDUCED APPLICATION on PaySchools Central!
Simply visit www.payschoolscentral.com and click Register, or download the mobile app PaySchools Mobile.

Spring is just around the corner. With it comes a sense of hope and excitement for new things, and this is certainly the case for Liberty-Benton Local Schools.

Our staff will receive their first COVID vaccine on Saturday, February 27. This comes after weeks of declining positive cases and quarantining across our school community. After winter weather further disrupted our learning throughout February, our students finally got a full 5-day week in the buildings this past week. These factors are combining to make things feel more normal again. I am so grateful for how this district has come together over the last year to keep one another safe and support our students’ emotional and educational growth.

Liberty Benton Local Schools is in the process of preparing to bring all students back to school on Monday, February 1. This is great news! 

Having students in school full time has always been a priority for our school district. At the same time, it is important that our students and staff are safe. Throughout the school year, we have added safety measures in our buildings to prevent the spread of COVID 19. We appreciate everyone’s cooperation in this effort. The more we practice safety protocols like hand washing, mask wearing, social distancing and staying home when sick, the more opportunities we have to remain in school. Let’s keep up the good work.

This has been a school year like no other.  Despite the ever-changing needs of our students and the mounting obstacles before us, we have persevered.  Thank you for moving forward with determination, grace and creativity in order to make the best of this year.

In order to provide our students with the school environment they deserve, I feel like all of our staff have risen to the challenge of each new obstacle with flexibility and innovation.  

Since last March, I have done my best to keep you informed about how COVID-19 is affecting our students, staff and operations in the Liberty-Benton Local School District.

 

Unfortunately, the district has recently endured a spike in student and staff COVID-19 confirmed cases and quarantines. Because of the illness and quarantines, the district has become stressed in all of our school buildings and departments. Ultimately, we have a duty to provide education and extra-curricular opportunities to our school community but to do it as safely as possible.  Now this has become jeopardized. As a school district, we are not alone in this. The entire state of Ohio and Hancock County are experiencing the same stress.

Since the start of the 2020-2021 school year, we have been fortunate enough to welcome our in-person learners back into our school buildings and provide quality education to students both virtually at home and in the classroom.

Due to the adherence to safety protocols in the schools and the support of our community working hard to keep COVID cases to a minimum, we are on track to return to school “all-in”. If Hancock County remains either yellow or orange on Ohio’s COVID Alert System, our students will return to school full-time, all day, every day beginning Monday, November 9.  

A Liberty-Benton Elementary School student and staff member have tested positive for COVID-19 and are currently under quarantine. The Hancock Public Health Department, in collaboration with the school, will complete contact tracing to identify other students or staff members who may need to quarantine for 14 days. Only those who have been in Close Contact with the student or staff member will be contacted. Close Contact is defined as someone who has been within 6 feet of an individual for more than 15 minutes.

The Board of Education Meeting will hold a special meeting Saturday, May 6, at 9:00 AM in the board room located at 9190 County Road 9, Findlay, Ohio.

Report tips on bullying, harassment, drugs, weapons, 

thoughts of suicide, or any other concern.

LBHS Alumni Veterans/Active Duty Military and Family Member Veterans of current students
The Liberty-Benton High School Action Team "Support Our Soldiers" is looking to collect names of currently living veterans of the military or those who are actively serving in the military.

Liberty-Benton District Policy 

New guidance came out for K-12 that students no longer have to quarantine at home if they are exposed to COVID in the household or outside contact. They will still have to wear a mask for 10 days at school still, and some parents may choose to keep them home if they don't like masking at school. We will only be keeping track of students who stay home due to not wanting to mask to stay and positive cases. Hancock Public Health Covid-19 Update 2022-01-28

The Ohio Department of Health issued new quarantine  guidelines today.  Liberty-Benton Local Schools will be operating under these guidelines beginning Tuesday, October 26, 2021.  https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/static/responsible/schools/k-12-schools-quarantine-alternative.pdf

Last week, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) would extend several flexibilities for school meals throughout the remainder of 2020. “As our nation reopens and people return to work, it remains critical our children continue to receive safe, healthy, and nutritious food,” the USDA said.

The wait is over! The doors to our school buildings are open and teachers and staff have welcomed our students back to school for another great year here at Liberty-Benton.

For our in-person learners, this is the first time back in the school buildings for nearly six months. Moreover, while this year will look and feel very different from past years, we are excited to have the opportunity to begin our school year with our students - whether they are at home or in the classroom.

Connect with your teacher(s) and complete your assignments

Spend time reading

Summer Survey

https://bit.ly/LBSummerSurvey  

 

Graduation - May 31, 2:00pm 

 

5th Grade Curbside Clap Out 

 

Parade Route Videos - Benton Ridge - Western Meadows

 

Arts Festival 

 

It's A Snap - Photo Winners and All Entries

Counseling Services - [email protected] 

Smile Parade - Monday, April 20th, 2:00pm - Video

Food Decorating Contest Winners 

Technology Support - [email protected]

Today, Liberty-Benton and school districts across the country are grappling with closures due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. 

As a community, it is vital that we take care of each other during this challenging time by following state and local directives, and by taking personal and collective steps to limit the impact of this virus. 

Another year is drawing to a close at Liberty-Benton Local Schools, and as we continue planning for the future, we find ourselves reflecting on the events of 2019 and the past decade.

This year we continued to pursue high-quality educational experiences for all Liberty-Benton students. High school students were able to take part in expanded elective

Mr. Kowalski presented the second annual State of the Schools address on March 11, 2019, in the high school auditorium.  There was a performance by Fermata the Blue Performance to start the event.

Our goal is that each Liberty-Benton graduate is equipped to reach his or her potential in: Good Character, American Citizenship, Independent Living, Academics and Critical Thinking.

The presentation is available for download.