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.
