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Liberty-Benton to Join the Northern Lakes League

We are excited to share some news that demonstrates our commitment to providing the best opportunities to our student-athletes. The Northern Lakes League has formally invited Liberty-Benton to join the NLL.   The NLL is structured into two divisions, the larger Buckeye Division and the smaller Cardinal Division, based on total enrollment numbers.  After thoughtful consideration and extensive discussions, Liberty-Benton Local Schools will be joining the smaller Cardinal Division of the Northern Lakes League (NLL) starting in the 2026-2027 school year.  
 
The Northern Lakes League, which is expanding to include Liberty-Benton, features two divisions based on enrollment: The larger Buckeye Division, and the smaller Cardinal Division.  Currently the divisions are as follows:
 
Buckeye: Anthony Wayne, Findlay, Northview, Perrysburg, Whitmer (exception in football which also includes Springfield)
 
Cardinal: Bowling Green, Napoleon, Clay, Fremont Ross, Southview, and Springfield for all sports except football.  
 
For many years, Liberty-Benton has been proud to be part of the Blanchard Valley Conference (BVC). However, as our district has grown, we have been actively exploring options for a new athletic conference that better aligns with our current needs and goals. Our focus has been on finding a conference that:
 
  • Aligns with common values of community, competitiveness, and sportsmanship
  • Offers an appropriate level of competition
  • Limits travel times to reasonable distances for league-level competition
 
For the last three years, Liberty-Benton has been searching for a new athletics home that best fits our values and vision for the future.  We are thrilled to have been invited to join the Northern Lakes League (NLL), an organization that shares our values and vision.   Liberty-Benton has competed with many NLL opponents across multiple sports in non-conference competition over the past few years.  
 
We look forward to building on our strong tradition of excellence in athletics while creating new traditions within the NLL. Although we will miss the camaraderie and history we have shared with the BVC, we are excited about the opportunities this new chapter brings. Thank you for your continued support of Liberty-Benton Athletics as we remain committed to fostering opportunities that help our students excel in every arena—both in sports and in life.
 
Sincerely,
 
 
Bruce Otley
Superintendent
 
 

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Posted Monday, January 27, 2025

Honoring Our Past and Building Our Future

Dear LB Community,

As we close out 2024, and look forward to 2025, I am reminded of how blessed we are to have new facilities on a single campus.  Construction continues on our new 15 bay transportation and maintenance facility, and thanks to the generous donation of 1958 LB graduate Mary Danchuck Cooley, and the amazing support of businesses, athletic boosters, and donors in our community, our turfed softball diamond renovation will be ready for spring play.   

It has been said, that a people who forgets their past, has no future.  With that in mind, here is a recap of the measures we’ve taken to preserve our proud LB heritage.

  • In May of 2023 we held an open house at our old school to allow the public to take one more stroll down memory lane before saying goodbye
  • The dedication plaque from the 1921 building was preserved and is now displayed near the office of the new prek-8 building
  • The dedication plaque from the 1976 building was preserved and is now displayed in the current high school south vestibule (athletics entrance)
  • In March of 2024, bricks from the original 1921 building were given to all LB employees and made available to our community
  • A portion of the 1959 gymnasium floor was preserved and is proudly displayed in our current high school gymnasium, Steve Williman Court
As you drive past our campus, you have probably noticed the new brick wall just off County Road 9.   This wall is the final preservation project from our old campus.  When the building was demolished in 2023, the original badging that once crowned the old school was carefully removed and preserved, along with bricks from the structure. These items now form this commemorative wall, honoring the legacy of the original school.  A bronze plaque will be added to the wall, telling the complete history of our district so that future generations of Eagles will have a tangible reminder of our LB heritage.  

With a firm grip on our past, and a clear vision for the future, we will work diligently in 2025 to continue to build on our proud Eagle legacy.
Sincerely,
 
Bruce Otley
Superintendent 

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Posted Monday, December 23, 2024

Fantastic First Quarter

Fall is my absolute favorite time of the year!  Cooler mornings, moderate afternoons, and the beautiful foliage on the trees mean we are well into the 24-25 school year.  As we reach the completion of the first grading period, much has already been accomplished!  Below are just a few of the highlights.

  • As a district, we celebrated a 5 Star Rating on the 2023-2024 state report card
  • A beautiful new band trailer was purchased, with a full decorative wrap split between the band boosters and the district
  • Liberty-Benton hosted approximately 600 teachers for a county wide professional development day October 14, 2024
  • A POW/MIA stadium chair was dedicated at our Military Appreciation Night at our football game vs. Arcadia on October 15, 2024
  • The elementary and middle school were host to approximately 1,200 very special guests for Grandparents’ Day October 21, 2024
  • The Board of Education recognized and celebrated with 22 students that scored a perfect 100% on their state achievement tests October 23, 2024
  • Liberty-Benton High School was again named a Purple Star school, and received special recognition at the Ohio School Board Association Northwest Regional Meeting on October 24, 2024
  • High School English teacher Amy Teders, and Kindergarten teacher Heagan Sparling , were recognized as Rotary Golden Apple finalists
  • Our softball diamond underwent major renovations in another successful joint district/Athletics Capital Campaign project.  The entire diamond was shifted to the south to allow for the addition of a high-tension netting system and for better fan viewing.  The entire field was resurfaced with field turf.  All new fencing and new concrete work will complete the project and the diamond will be ready for play in the spring.
  • The new transportation/maintenance garage project is well under way.  All site work is completed including pouring footers, and setting foundation walls.  The heavy steel superstructure has been erected.   
  • In Athletics:
    1. BVC Champions: Football
    2. BVC Champions: Boys Cross Country-Team State Qualifier
    3. NCOSA Champions: Girls Soccer
    4. NCOSA Champions: Boys Soccer-still in post season competition at districts
We’ve had a fantastic, memory filled first quarter, and I anticipate our students will continue to achieve great things as the school year unfolds.  Looking ahead, parent/teacher conferences are just around the corner and are scheduled for:

November 21, 5-8 pm
November 25, Noon-8 pm
November 26, 8 am-noon
 
Fly Higher!
 
Bruce Otley
Superintendent
Liberty-Benton Local Schools

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Posted Wednesday, October 30, 2024

Liberty-Benton Earns a Five-Star Rating

I am pleased to share Liberty-Benton Local Schools earned the highest rating, a five-star rating, on the 2023-2024 state report card.  This means as a district, Liberty-Benton significantly exceeds the standards set forth by the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce.  Only 68 of 606 school districts in the state of Ohio earned a 5-star rating for the 23-24 school year, placing Liberty-Benton Local Schools in the top 11% of all school districts in the state of Ohio.  The grade card is comprised of 5 areas:

Achievement: A measurement of student academic achievement on the state achievement tests

Progress: A measurement of growth students are making based on past performance on state achievement tests

Gap Closing: Measures the reduction on educational gaps for students in subgroups

Graduation: Measures the four- and five-year graduation rate of our students

Early Literacy: Measures reading improvement and proficiency in grade 3

You can view the district report card here: Liberty-Benton District Report Card

I would like to congratulate our students, parents, teachers, and administrative team for an outstanding effort in accomplishing another excellent report card.  These results do not happen by accident.  As a Leader in Me school, we begin with the end in mind and deliver instruction with a focus on developing:

  • Positive Character
  • Critical Thinking
  • Resilience
  • Emotional Intelligence
  • Leadership
  • Service
Moving forward with the 2024-2025 school year, we believe continual improvement is a process and will be looking for the little things that make big differences.

Congratulations again!   Let’s fly even higher in 2024-2025!   

Sincerely,
 
Bruce Otley
Superintendent  
 
 
 

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Posted Tuesday, September 17, 2024

Welcome Back!

Dear LB Community,

Welcome to the 2024-2025 school year!  I hope everyone had a wonderful, restful, and fun filled summer vacation so you’ll be ready for new experiences, new challenges, and new opportunities this school year.   Our maintenance and custodial crews have been working hard to make sure our facilities are ready for you.  It has been great seeing our students and staff matriculating back for athletic camps and practices, summer reading, and getting classrooms ready.  

As we approach a new school year, here are a few important upcoming dates:

  • High School schedule and laptop pickup/cookout Wednesday, August 14, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
  • High School New Student and Freshman Orientation Wednesday, August 14, 7:30 p.m.
  • Prek-8 Meet the Teacher Night Monday, August 19, 5-7 p.m.
  • First Day of School Wednesday, August 21
  • Holiday/Break August 27-Spetember 3
  • School Resumes September 3

Enjoy your final days of summer vacation.  We’ll see you all for the first day of school August 21st!

Fly Higher!

 

Bruce Otley

Superintendent

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Posted Monday, August 5, 2024

May Update

Back in 1986 the rock band Europe released their hit song “The Final Countdown”, which is a fitting way to look at the month of May in public schools.  For our seniors, May is a time for reflection regarding the many things they’ve accomplished during their years at LB, as well as a time of looking forward to graduation, summer vacation, and the next chapter in life.

During our Portrait of an Eagle Project, we identified critical thinkers as an essential skillset all students should possess by the time they graduate from LB.  We defined this as:

Critical Thinkers

  • We are able to analyze information, make informed decisions, and sort information to discern truth.
  • We can evaluate evidence, consider different perspectives, and solve problems.  

The world our graduates must be prepared for, is a world that has become more difficult to sift through mainstream media spin, and web-based resources to arrive at truth.  Analyzing information, evaluating evidence, and considering different perspectives, to discern truth is an essential skill for success in life.  

As we look at closing out another school year, It has been a blessing to serve you alongside of our amazing LB teaching staff. I’m looking forward to seeing you at these remaining school events.

May 8   District Wide Arts Festival 6-8 pm

May 14  High School Spring Band/Choir Concert 7:30 pm

May 20  High School Senior Awards Night 7 pm

May 21  Middle School Spring Band/Choir Concert 6:30 pm

May 22 Last Day for Graduating Seniors

May 30  Last Day of School 2 Hour Early Dismissal

June 2   High School Graduation 2 pm

 

Fly Higher!
Bruce Otley
Superintendent

 

 

 

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Posted Tuesday, May 7, 2024

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