Boardman Local School District

states that our goal and our job here is to transform lives through all of the opportunities we present to kids.” With this in mind, the district ensures students have access to diverse learning experiences, preparing them for future success, whether in higher education, technical fields, or direct entry into the workforce. Superintendent Neifer emphasizes, “We pride ourselves on the ability to try to provide as much consistency as possible, but as much individualization too. Kids have the opportunity to explore and find those different pathways or areas of passion as they progress through the educational system.” ELEMENTARY LEARNING AND STEAM INTEGRATION Early learning is a priority for Boardman which has three elementary schools serving students from kindergarten through third grade. Neifer notes, “That foundation we understand to be extremely important, and we do a phenomenal job as a district.” When it comes to the learning gaps exacerbated by the COVID pandemic, he adds, “We’ve done a pretty good job of filling them at this point and that’s all based on the hard work that our staff is doing. We are meeting them at their place of need and making sure that we provide the resources to those buildings.” With three schools achieving National Blue Ribbon status over the last 15 years, the district has also been recognized in the US News and World Report in a ranking of 3,500 elementary schools in Ohio, where three Boardman schools placed in the top 111.“We had a 76, a 107 and a 111,” touts Neifer. “So, we are certainly meeting the criteria and the requirements that the state has set aside. But even more importantly, we’re watching our kids thrive and build that great foundation as we move our way up through the intermediate, junior high, and then the high school.” In keeping with Boardman’s progressive approach, STEAM concepts (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) are introduced to students as early as kindergarten. Currently the focus is on building a continuous K-12 STEAM curriculum.“We have pieces in place at all of the buildings, and at this point, we’re really trying to work hard to make sure that they’re aligned, and we’re giving kids increased opportunities at each grade level,” Neifer says. Expansion of the engineering and robotics curriculum is currently underway, with plans to create a stateof-the-art STEAM and robotics lab.“The whole space is going to be retrofitted with the proper technology and all of the new pieces to support that curriculum,” relays Neifer. “We have a three-year plan laid out in front of us to build that up to a three year engineering curriculum 3 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 04 BOARDMAN LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

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