Author: shankv

WARREN – Two Warren schools – Jefferson PK-8 and McGuffey PK-8 – are being recognized by the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce as recipients of the Governor’s Momentum Award.

The award marks the first time Jefferson has received the award and the third consecutive year McGuffey is being recognized. The award is based on last year’s state report card data. Out of approximately 3,600 schools in the state of Ohio, only 238 earned a Momentum Award
this year.

Last year, McGuffey earned recognition alongside 192 other schools, and the year before that, along with 309 buildings. Meaning, only about 8 to 9 percent of schools in Ohio earn the

Momentum Award in a given year, explained McGuffey Principal (Grades 6-8)/Campus Leader James Joseph. Principal Joseph provided an overview of the award during the Warren City School Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, April 21, 2026.

“Even fewer schools earn it two years in a row and less than 1 percent of schools have earned it
three years,” he noted.

Based on the district’s research, administrators believe that McGuffey PK-8 is the only building in the state of Ohio to earn this award three consecutive years since 2017, he added.

Data provided through the Ohio School Report Cards each year allows the state to identify schools and districts that are consistently going above and beyond both inside and outside of the classroom. These accomplishments highlight a commitment to advancing academic achievement and supporting student success, according to information from the state.

The Momentum Award recognizes districts and individual school buildings that have demonstrated outstanding improvement in achievement while also continuing to show growth.

The award is for districts and buildings that have improved their performance index by three or more points from the 2023-2024 report card to the 2024-2025 report card AND received a value-added progress rating of four or more stars.

Jefferson garnered four stars for progress during the 2024-2025 state report card period. Carrie Boyer, Jefferson Campus Leader/Principal of Curriculum and Instruction, explained her school focused on students having a growth mindset and staff using common strategies across grade levels and content areas.

“The teachers focused on encouraging students and providing feedback to students consistently during instruction,” she added.

WARREN – The Warren City School Board of Education will vote Tuesday (April 21, 2026) on the appointments of a new athletic director and varsity boys basketball coach.

Superintendent/CEO Steve Chiaro is making the official recommendation to name Tim Porter the district’s new athletic director and to hire Dan Bubon as the new varsity boys basketball coach.

Pending board approval, Porter and Bubon are set to begin their new positions July 1, replacing Rick

Shepas and Keelyn Franklin, respectively, who each resigned last month.

“I am excited to take both the basketball program and the athletic department forward under new leadership as we build upon the prior success in both areas, creating what we believe will be an outstanding experience for our student-athletes in our feeder programs, middle school and high school levels, preparing them to pursue any goals they have for the future,” Chiaro said.

Porter, who is currently the athletic director at Orange City School District, is a certified athletic administrator through the National Interscholastic Athletic Association. He formerly taught history and financial literacy at Weathersfield Local Schools from 2012 to 2021. He also worked as an
owner/operator of Porter Distributing from 2003 to 2004, and has experience in marketing and as an account representative.

He earned a Master’s Degree in athletic administration from Ohio University in 2020. He graduated from Youngstown State University with Bachelor’s Degrees in education/integrated social studies in 2011, and
business administration advertising and public relations in 1997.

“I’m incredibly honored and excited to be named the next athletic director at the Warren City School District,” Porter stated. “This opportunity is deeply personal to me. Growing up, I spent countless evenings attending Warren Harding or Western Reserve events with my grandfather, experiences that helped shape my love for athletics and the community of Warren. To now return in this role is truly special, and I look forward to building on that tradition while supporting our student-athletes, coaches,
and school with pride.”

Bubon has been Howland’s head boys basketball coach since 2016. Prior to that, he was in that same capacity at Liberty, from 2011 to 2016, and Champion from 2003 to 2011. He was also JV boys basketball coach at Warren. G. Harding High School from 1999 to 2003, and varsity assistant girls basketball coach at Harding from 1995 to 1999. He is a 1991 Harding graduate with a Master of Education Degree in curriculum and instruction from Ashland University in 1999; and a Bachelor of Science Degree in secondary social studies, grade 7-12, from Duquesne University in 1995.

He has been a social studies teacher at Harding for the past 31 years and will continue in that position.

“I am very excited to return to my home school as head boys basketball coach,” Bubon stated. “Since the job came open, I have received a tremendous amount of encouragement from the community to pursue
this job and I would like to thank everyone for their support. I thank Mr. Chiaro and the rest of the administration for their confidence in me, and look forward to getting started.”

The regular meeting of the Warren School Board of Education is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday at the McGuffey PK-8 School.

Representatives of the the United Way of Trumbull County and 7 17 Credit Union spent some time at Warren’s McGuffey PK-8 School on Tuesday reading to preschool students and announcing a new partnership designed to support early literacy efforts in Trumbull County.

The effort centers on Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which mails a free age-appropriate book each month to enrolled children from birth until age 5. The United Way of Trumbull County serves as the local affiliate for the program in the county.

As part of the partnership, the 717 Credit Union introduced an Affinity credit card linked to the United Way. A portion of each purchase made with the card, 7.17 cents, will help fund the Imagination Library by promoting the program and supporting its operations.

Lincoln 8th-grader Genevieve Ramey successfully spelled her way to the No. 1 spot at the annual 21 WFMJ Regional Spelling Bee on Saturday, March 14, 2026, at Stambaugh Auditorium.

As grand champion, Genevieve secured a $2,000 scholarship from Kent State University at Trumbull and the opportunity to represent her school at the 101st annual Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C., over Memorial Day weekend. She also walked away with a 1st Place Trophy.

More than 60 spellers in grades 5 to 8 represented schools in Trumbull and Mahoning counties at the spelling competition that is in its 93rd year.

Genevieve claimed her win by correctly spelling “comminatory”.

Last year, Genevieve won the Trumbull County Educational Service Center’s Annual Spelling Bee. She was among 34 students from schools across Trumbull County to compete in the event that was co-sponsored by the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber.

The 34th Annual Awards Dinner of the Board of Directors of the Warren City Schools Foundation and the Committee of the Warren High Schools’ Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame will be held Saturday, May 2, 2026, at Warren G. Harding High School,  860 Elm Road, NE, Warren, Ohio. 

The event will kick off with tours of Harding High School and a Social Hour from 5 to 6:30 p.m., when dinner will begin. 

Tickets are $30 per person. Deadline for reservations is April 17, 2026.

The 2026 Inductees Are:

• Derick Young
• Korey Gall
• Tom Megalis
• Jayni Sech
• DeWayne Reed
• Patrick McBane.

Download the 2026 Awards Dinner Reservation Form 

Last week, for Read Across America week, students at the McGuffey PK-8 School joined thousands of children nationwide who participated in Read Across America week, we had several events. 

The longstanding national reading effort, which this year ran March 2 to 6, focused on celebrating reading, promoting literacy, and highlighting diverse, inclusive books for children. Initiated by the National Education Association in 1998, this national event features themes like “Champion Kindness.”

Here are some highlights from McGuffey’s activities:

• K-2 & 3-5 Family Fluency events were held on Thursday and Friday. Parents were invited to come in to learn more about reading fluency. We started off with a brief presentation in the cafeteria teaching families what fluency is, why it matters, what fluency sounds like, and strategies for improving fluency at home. Parents then transitioned to their child’s classroom where they practiced the different strategies with their child. The teachers modeled choral reading, echo reading, and partner reading before the students and parents practiced together. Each grade level added their own twists to the activities in the classrooms. Kindergarten had race cars that they used to read fluently across sentence strips of words they are learning. Other grades had cards with different ways to practice reading fluently such as “read like a monster”, or “read like a newscaster”.  All students K-5 received a book to take home to practice reading fluency and parents received a folder with fluency information as well as grade level reading tips. 

• 

• In 6-8, we held our first, “Blind Date with a Book” where students went on “speed dates” with different books. The books were completely covered and had clues on the front and a quote on the back. Students explored the different books without seeing the cover to see if they could figure out the genre, what the book was about, and decide if they were interested in the book. At the end of the class period, students got to rank the books from their favorite to least favorite. The next day, all grade 6-8 students received one of their top choices of books to read during class and answer questions about the book. At the end of the class period, all students got to take home the book they chose. On Final Forms, we sent home a parent informational sheet sharing ways that parents can help engage their middle school reader at home with their new book. 

One of our Warren City Schools students has a piece in the running in the Trumbull County Educational Service Center’s People’s Choice Award. 

Voting opened today and continues through 8 a.m. Thursday, March 12. You can vote once from each email address.

The link to their page can be found here. 

Forty families participated in the recent PK-3 Family Reading Event at the Jefferson PK-8 School.

The students came to see the “Reading is Magic Show” and participated in Literacy Stations with their families. 

Students, families and staff are sending out a great big “Thank you” to HomeGoods for visiting the Willard PK-8 School, reading to each kindergarten class, and gifting every student a brand new book to take home.

Everyone agreed it was special day filled with stories, smiles, and a love of reading!

Warren City School District Athletic Director Rick Shepas has resigned from his position, effective June 30, 2026, for a new opportunity at East Palestine City Schools.

Mr. Shepas, who has worked in Warren nearly the past two years, will assist East Palestine in the school district’s efforts to expand its workforce development program.

Additionally, he will serve as Head High School Football Coach for the Palestine Bulldogs football program.

A formal resignation from AD Shepas has been expected for some time as he and Warren Superintendent/CEO Steve Chiaro have been discussing the most appropriate transition that would best support the student-athletes in the Warren City School District.

Mr. Shepas started in Warren as Athletic Director in July 2024 with the expectation that he would be a bold change agent for the athletic program, explained Superintendent Chiaro.

“Significant change is exactly what he brought to Warren in just under two years,” Chiaro said.

During his short tenure the district implemented:

• A strength conditioning program for all student athletes in December 2024;
• An indoor track program for student athletes in Trumbull County in 2025 that has since expanded to a multi-county program;
• A highly successful Girls Flag Football Team that has been showcased at the Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland, the Cleveland Brown’s home stadium;
• A youth wrestling program with outstanding participation this year; and
• A Boys pilot volleyball program.

Under AD Shepas’ leadership, student participation has improved and expectations for student- athletes at both the middle and high school levels of competition have been raised.

On Tuesday, March 3, 2026, the Warren City School District will begin a search for a new Athletic Director who has a bold vision, passion for outstanding student athletic programming, and a plan for implementing and maintaining the trajectory of the student athletic program success that is currently in place within Warren City District.