News

Students, parents, teachers, administrators and community leaders gathered Downtown at Courthouse Square on Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2022, for Warren City Schools Back to School Celebration.

The WGH Raider Marching Band played and Harding Football made a grand entrance as the Harding Cheering Squad greeted the 2022 lineup along with others at the square.

“This has been wonderful for the kids, whole families,” said Amanda Masula, whose sons attend Williard PK-8 School. “We really appreciate the schools and all of the effort that has gone into doing this for the kids, all of us really.”

Each of the district’s five schools was represented along with the school board and various school departments. Children received books and other gifts, participated in a variety of activities including face painting and enjoyed refreshments.

Warren City Schools had added an additional layer of security to the district’s daily operations as part of the ongoing efforts to keep students and staff as safe as possible.

District administrators and staff spent part of an afternoon recently learning how the district’s new weapon detector technology works.

“Our goal is to provide our students and staff with the safest learning environment we possibly can,” explained Chief Academic Officer Wendy Hartzell.

The district has installed the new technology that is designed to detect weapons such as guns and knives in district buildings in time for the start of the 2022-23 school year.

Tom McDermott from CEIA USA show district leaders how the technology works and what they, as well as students, can expect upon entering district buildings.

WCS Families and School Community:

We are about one week away from the start of the 2022-2023 academic year in the Warren City Schools and everything is coming together well for us to celebrate another successful start to the school year. Spending time around the WGH campus with students participating in the freshman academy experience, marching band members perfecting their routines and our athletic programs practicing are all signs that school is about to begin.

Download the full letter here:

Warren City School District families are invited to kick off the 2022-2023 school year Aug. 17, 2022, during the district’s Back To School Celebration.

Students, parents, teachers and school administrators will gather downtown at Courthouse Square from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. to celebrate the start of another successful school year in Warren City Schools.

Refreshments. Games. Raffles. Entertainment. Join us in celebrating Warren City Schools, our students, families and community!

Ohio’s 2022 Sales Tax Holiday will run 12 a.m. Friday, Aug. 5, to 11:59 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 7.

During the holiday weekend, the following items are exempt from sales and use tax:

• An item of clothing priced at $75 or less;
• An item of school supplies priced at $20 or less; and
• An item of school instructional material priced at $20 or less.

Items used in a trade or business are not exempt under the sales tax holiday.

Items used in a trade or business are not exempt under the sales tax holiday. For more information about the sales tax holiday, please refer to the Ohio Department of Taxation’s Frequently Asked Questions.

If you have any additional questions regarding this information, please contact the Department at 1-888-405-4039.

The new Raider Pride Park in front of Warren G. Harding High School was dedicated and a ceremonial ground-breaking was held Thursday, June 30, 2022.

Members of the Raider Pride Park Committee said the new memorial to former Warren Western Reserve students and staff is an asset for Warren City Schools and the Warren City community-at-large.

The Raider Pride Park project was birthed in 2010 when Dave Alstolfi sold t-shirts with the original Warren Western Reserve High School logo at the Warren Italian Festival. The goal was to to build a memorial dedicated to all the WWR family, including the people who worked and served there and the students who attended the high school.

The Warren Western Reserve Committee was established in the fall of 2010 and met at the home of Mark Clawges, WWR Class of 1968.  The committee started with 60 or so people with the objective of getting representation from as many of the school’s graduating classes as possible. The committee then approached the Warren City Schools Board of Education about securing property to build a memorial.

Over time the committee’s membership diminished, and the group soon realized that becoming a non-profit would be key to raising the funds needed to build the memorial. The Warren Western Reserve Committee became a 501(c)(3) and changed its name to Raider Pride Park. Artist Dennis Freet designed the original park and its layout. Gibson Construction put the architectural design together and provided cost estimates for the development and construction.

The Raider Pride Park group set out to raise money through various fundraising efforts, with the staple being the Warren Italian Festival. Every year a tent was set up as a meeting place for all Warren City School alumni, with an emphasis on the Raiders. The group sold memorabilia, t-shirts, hoodies, DVDs of past WWR band performances as well as autographed items to help raise funds.

Over the years, the committee realized that the original design was becoming cost prohibitive, so plans were revised, and a redesign was done by Cortland-based Gilmore Landscaping and Design.

“This is a testament to the grit and determination of those involved in the memorial,” said James F. Guy Jr., WWR Class of 1990. “Raider Pride Park hopes this park can be enjoyed by alumni and will be a part of the rich history of Warren City Schools.”

Guy thanked the Warren City School Board of Education; Warren City Schools Superintendent Steve Chiaro; former schools Superintendent Michael Notar; and Director of Business Operations John Lacy; Brandon Giovannone of MDI Studios who designed the committee’s website; and Artistics Silk Screening, which has been printing the committee’s designs since day one. 

Current Raider Pride Park members are:

President: James F Guy Jr – class of 1990
Vice-President: Sharon McCourt Rinko – Class of 1967
Treasurer: Mark Clawges – Class of 1968
Secretary: Sue Tobias – Class of 1968                                                                                          Richard Thompson – Class of 1968
Martha Wilson – school secretary
Jimmy Devlin – Class of 1969
Nancy Ritz – Class of 1967
Sharleen Humes Johnson – Class of 1979
John Humes – Class of 1981
Jan Macchia Luoma – Class of 1969

Previous members:

Ken Carter
Kathy Setting (former Vice President) – Class of 1972
Dennis Freet – Class of 1973

The Warren City Schools Board of Education recently reviewed renderings of the district’s new Student Recreation and Wellness Center set to be located on the Warren G. Harding High School Campus off Elm Road.

The 120,000-square-foot, two-story facility will be built between Harding High School and the football field. The district has been working with Phillips Sekanick Architects of Warren to design the center.

The structure will feature athletic facilities, along with educational and healthcare services and resources. 

A 200-meter, multi-purpose surface track is planned for the first floor while an additional track for walking is designated for the second floor. Discussions include the inclusion of space for Esports and the Harding robotics program, among other programs. There is also potential for a student-run cafe or bistro. 

Money through a federal grant is paying for the bulk of the multi-million-dollar project. Plans are for students to be able to use a portion of the new complex in the Fall of 2023 before the remainder is finished.

 

Warren City Schools will begin opening the district’s Summer Feeding Sites on Monday, June 6, 2022.

All of the following sites will open on Monday, unless otherwise noted:

Jefferson PK-8 School, 1543 Tod Ave SW, Warren

Lincoln PK-8 School, 2253 Atlantic St, Warren

McGuffey PK-8 School, 3465 Tod Ave NW, Warren

Willard PK-8 School, 2020 Willard Ave, Warren

Breakfast:  7:30 – 9 a.m.   Lunch:  11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Warren G. Harding High School, 860 Elm Road, Warren

*June 6, 2022 – August 12, 2022

Breakfast:  7:30 a.m. – 9 a.m.    Lunch:  10:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Remote /Community Locations:

Laird Community Garden, 565 Laird SE, Warren

Lunch:  11:30 a.m. – Noon

Packard Park, 1703 Mahoning Ave, Warren   

Lunch:  Noon – 12:30 p.m.

Highland Terrace Community Center, 377 Lane SW, Warren  

Lunch:  11:30 a.m. – Noon

Stonegate Place, 1210 Roberts, Warren   

Lunch:  Noon – 12:30 p.m.

Trumbull Family Fitness, 210 High St, Warren

*June 6, 2022 – August 12, 2022

Breakfast:  9 – 9:30 a.m.    Lunch:  Noon – 12:30 p.m.

Warren Heights Apts., 504 Douglas NW, Warren  

Lunch:  Noon – 12:30 p.m.

YWCA, 375 North Park, Warren

*July 18, 2022-July 29, 2022

Breakfast:  9 – 9:30 a.m.    Lunch: Noon – 12:30 p.m.

Royal Mall, 27 Royal Mall, Niles

Lunch:  11:30 am – Noon