News Summary

FAIRFIELD — Although preliminary results have Fairfield City Schools dropping from an "Excellent" ranking to "Effective," scores were well above state average, district officials said at Thursday's board meeting.

Of the five new tests teachers and students had not seen before, students passed four.

"To do that well is great," said Bonnie Fitzharris, curriculum director.

The high school students passed all of the indicators for the Ohio Graduation Test, and Principal Paul Waller credited teacher's efforts for boosting special education scores in order to pass the adequate yearly progress part of the test.

"We've restructured our entire special education program at the high school," he said.

The state sets a benchmark for students on individual education plans, and Waller said the more than 200 special-needs students scored 4 percent above that benchmark.

"It just goes to show how well our teachers meet the individual student needs," he said. "We're one of the largest high schools in the area, so to meet the need of over 2,300 kids is something the community should be proud of."

Fitzharris told the board scores on the Ohio Achievement Tests statewide are lower, but that Fairfield will not use that as an excuse as it analyzes data.

Next week, the schools must submit any discrepancies in the results and final results will be released the third week of August. Fairfield met 28 indicators, but did not meet fifth-grade math or eighth-grade social studies.

Parents of children in grades three through eight may pick up their child's individual reports, called Value Added reports. Student progress was calculated this year for the first time to track annual reading and math scores for individual students in addition to class scores.

"It's a very informative document," Fitzharris said. "You'll hear these referenced a lot."

In other business, the board passed a resolution to inform the Fairfield Twp. trustees it would be against possible developments near the intersection of Hamilton-Mason Road and the Bypass Ohio 4.

Of the proposed zonings, one is for a multifamily complex.

"It would replace a planned unit development residential zoning that was really intended for senior housing," said attorney John Clemmons. "We're going from virtually no children to as many children as you can possibly put on that property. I think this is something the board should express its opposition to for the record."

Wednesday night, the township's zoning commission rejected changing land-use plans for the 111-acre site, as the Butler County Zoning Commission did last week.

In other business, the board voted to hire a new principal for Fairfield East Elementary School and an assistant principal for the high school.

Christopher Heybruch is the new assistant principal at the high school. He also will be the leader of next year's sophomore class.

Heybruch has been the dean of students at Fairfield Middle School this past year and prior to that he taught for eight years in Lebanon. He will make $68,000.

Preston Johnson, South Elementary assistant principal for nine years, will earn $91,000 as principal of East Elementary. He was a physical education and science teacher at the middle school and also was an athletic director.