District earns excellent rating for seventh straight year

Vandalia, Ohio (August 24, 2011)—For the seventh year in a row, Vandalia-Butler City Schools has earned a rating of Excellent on the state report card.

The district met 26 out of 26 state indicators and scored well above state average in most areas. For example, the high school graduation rate of 99.1 percent is several points above the state average of 84.3 percent. And in some areas of the Ohio Graduation Test, Butler High School students scored more than 10 percentage points higher than the state average.

“It goes without saying that we are proud of the results, proud of our staff, and very, very proud of our students,” said Superintendent Christy Donnelly. “We believe we are one of the top school districts in the state, and this confirms our standing.”

Results like these set Vandalia-Butler City Schools at a level above and contribute to the community’s desirability as an excellent place to live, work, and raise children. They also confirm that the district’s efforts to support individual students are being met, according to Director of Curriculum and Instruction Laura Bemus.

“We are constantly collecting, monitoring and responding to data on how are students are doing in the classroom,” said Bemus. “As a team, our teachers, support staff and administration work together to make sure the needs of every learner are being met.”

But there’s more to education than just data and analysis, Bemus added.

“As a district, our philosophy is to educate the whole child,” she said. “We provide multiple opportunities for exploring arts and athletics alongside academics to strengthen students’ engagement in school, approach to problem solving, and skills with communication and collaboration.”

The wealth of opportunities that the district offers is a reflection of the value the community places in education. Without community support, the district would lose the ability to offer the range of enrichment activities that are available to students. Area businesses and civic groups also make a contribution by volunteering their time for in-class demonstrations, offering vocational opportunities and making generous donations. And parents play the most important role of all by encouraging and supporting their children.

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