Where Education Meets Opportunity

 Blending academic excellence with career readiness, CCSD is preparing students for success through innovative learning, strategic investments, and deep community connections.

Located in northeastern Ohio, the Canton City School District (CCSD) serves a diverse community with a commitment to student success. With a strong foundation in academics, career readiness, and extracurricular opportunities, the district empowers students to achieve their full potential. Guided by dedicated leadership, CCSD continues to evolve, ensuring that its schools provide innovative learning environments while maintaining a deep connection to the local community.

Bulldog Pride, Citywide: Excellence, Leadership, and Community at CCSD

At the heart of the CCSD are three core values that shape its approach to education: excellence, leadership, and community. Superintendent Jeff Talbert emphasizes that these principles serve as the foundation for everything the district does. “In the Canton City School District, we start everything with our core values,” he says. “All Bulldogs strive for excellence… and we believe that it’s everyone’s responsibility, whether you’re a student, staff member, parent, or community member, to show leadership and to help develop leadership in those we’re working with.”

Beyond academics, CCSD is committed to building a strong sense of community. Talbert stresses the importance of connection, stating, “we always say that our top priority is building community, and so everything that we do is aligned to that. All of our behaviors are aligned to that.” By fostering an inclusive environment, the district ensures that students feel supported, engaged, and empowered to pursue their ambitions.

CCSD’s mission extends beyond the classroom, preparing students for life beyond high school. By providing a well-rounded education that integrates academics, extracurriculars, and career pathways, the district equips students with the skills and confidence to succeed in any path they choose.

With these guiding values, CCSD continues to evolve, ensuring that excellence, leadership, and community remain at the forefront of its initiatives.

Unleashing Potential: Closing Gaps with Literacy & STEM

In the wake of pandemic-related disruptions, CCSD has made closing the learning gap a top priority, with a strong focus on literacy and STEM education. Recognizing the critical role of early literacy, the district took proactive steps long before state mandates required action. “Like a lot of school districts, we’ve been working to implement the science of reading into our curriculum and into our classrooms,” Talbert says. “In the state of Ohio, we’ve been a leader when it comes to the science of literacy… we have been doing it for probably seven years or more,” he adds.

CCSD’s commitment to literacy has already yielded impressive results. By adopting a new reading curriculum and redesigning instructional approaches, the district has made measurable progress. “This past year’s third-grade class had the highest passage rate of any class since the standards were increased to college and career readiness,” Talbert explains. “We’ve significantly closed the gaps caused by COVID in every other grade level,” he adds.

Beyond literacy, CCSD has positioned itself as a leader in STEM and STEAM education. The district is home to the county’s only state-approved STEM school, a STEAM Academy that incorporates science, technology, engineering, arts, math, and even medicine. Students engage in hands-on learning through programs in agriculture, horticulture, and engineering, with partnerships from major organizations like Cleveland Clinic and Marathon Oil. By expanding STEM pathways from elementary through high school, CCSD ensures students are well-prepared for the future.

Hands-On Learning, Real-World Success: CCSD’s Career Pathways

CCSD is dedicated to equipping students with real-world skills through its Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs. With 16 specialized programs, CCSD provides students hands-on learning experiences that prepare them for in-demand careers. Gary Kandel, Director of Secondary Education, highlights the district’s approach: “one of the things we pride ourselves on is giving our students and our families choice and options.”

CCSD’s culinary arts program is a prime example of this hands-on education. “Our students actually operate an on-site restaurant here in the district, which I actually got lunch from yesterday,” Kandel says. In welding, students not only learn the trade but also gain early employment experience. “We have a great partnership with a company, Ohio Gratings, where our welding students actually are able to be hired while they’re in school and earn a paycheck while mastering their craft,” he explains.

In construction, students had the opportunity to add a pavilion to the baseball stadium, whereas in engineering, students gain hands-on experience working on projects around the school. “Being able to see our kids walk around the building and see something that they had a part in is pretty powerful. We talk a lot about giving our kids confidence and purpose, and that’s a good example of them doing that”, Kandel proudly states.

The district also offers an early college program, allowing students to earn associate degrees while still in high school. Kandel emphasizes its impact, particularly for first-generation college students: “Students that are qualified for that program are actually able to earn an associate’s degree while they are still in high school. Some of our students have earned multiple associate’s degrees.”

By integrating career-focused pathways with early college opportunities, CCSD ensures students are not only graduating with diplomas but also with real-world experience, credentials, and college credits, setting them up for success in the workforce.

Creativity, Competition, and Connection: CCSD’s Vibrant Extracurriculars

Beyond academics, CCSD provides students with exceptional arts and athletics programs, fostering creativity, teamwork, and school pride. From award-winning music programs to state-of-the-art athletic facilities, CCSD ensures that students have opportunities to explore their passions and develop valuable life skills.

The district’s performing and visual arts programs offer students a variety of creative outlets. “All of our high schools… have access to the arts, music, visual art, performing arts, our band and orchestra,” Kandel states. The district even boasts a unique steel drum band, along with two student-led rock bands, providing an alternative way for students to engage with music. A recent mural project, painted by English as a second language learners, became a source of pride for the district. “That was a great way for them to kind of put their mark on a high school that’s very new to them,” Kandel adds.

Athletics also play a major role in CCSD’s student experience. The district has invested in cutting-edge sports facilities, including the Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, a small NFL-style stadium, and the Camp Memorial Fieldhouse, a basketball stadium that seats nearly 5000. Joe Bogdan, Director of Sports and Athletic Facilities, highlights the district’s mission to make sports accessible: “We are leveraging all of the positive things we have going on to make sure that we are providing what we hope will become the model for youth sports opportunities in an urban setting.”

Additionally, CCSD takes great pride in its nationally recognized speech and debate team. “Every year I’ve been here, we have had national qualifiers,” Kandel says. With students consistently excelling at regional and national competitions, the program has become a standout extracurricular, helping students hone public speaking, critical thinking, and leadership skills.

By providing diverse opportunities in the arts, athletics, and extracurricular activities, CCSD ensures that students can develop confidence, teamwork, and a deep connection to their school and community.

A Stronger Pack: Investing in Facilities & Community Growth

CCSD is making significant investments in infrastructure and community partnerships to enhance learning environments and strengthen connections between students and the broader Canton community. Talbert emphasizes that these projects are driven by a commitment to student success and long-term community impact.

One of the district’s most ambitious initiatives is the construction of two new elementary schools, which will return CCSD to a K-6 neighborhood school model. “Those two new elementaries should be breaking ground here in the next couple of months to open in the fall of the 2026-27 school year,” Talbert states. This shift is designed to improve family engagement and student connectivity, ensuring that younger students stay in the same schools for longer periods.

Beyond classroom spaces, CCSD has prioritized creating multi-use community facilities. The district recently opened the Bulldog Activity Center, a 110,000-square-foot space featuring a 200-meter indoor track, basketball and volleyball courts, and turf fields. “Our goal is to involve more kids in after-school activities because we know kids who are involved come to school, connect to school, and connected kids do better in school,” Talbert explains.

CCSD has also transformed local landmarks into valuable student resources. The district, in partnership with the City of Canton, renovated a minor league baseball stadium into a state-of-the-art facility for school and community use. “Pretty much every day that is a playable day, that stadium is in use with our students and with adults and colleges hosting state-level events,” Talbert says.

By investing in modern facilities and strong community partnerships, CCSD is ensuring that students have access to top-tier resources while also supporting the economic and social growth of Canton.

Looking Ahead: Priorities for 2025 and Beyond

As CCSD looks ahead to 2025 and beyond, its leadership is focused on expanding educational opportunities, strengthening career pathways, and deepening community connections. Talbert highlights the district’s commitment to creating more choice-based learning models that allow students to tailor their education to their interests and goals.

One key initiative is the expansion of choice school options, particularly within the STEAM Academy and early college programs. “We’re looking at expanding our career tech opportunities and getting into more fields,” Talbert says. “We’re also making sure that kids who are in early college have the opportunity to take career tech classes and graduate not just with an associate’s degree, but with a credential so they can actually go right into the workforce.”

CCSD is also working to enhance its early career initiatives, ensuring that students gain practical, hands-on experience before graduation. “We say early college a lot, but we’re also looking at ways to create early career opportunities for students as well,” Talbert explains. By integrating workforce readiness programs with academic instruction, CCSD is giving students more flexibility and real-world experience.

With strategic planning and student-focused initiatives, CCSD is building a future where students are connected, career-ready, and equipped for success beyond the classroom.

Bulldog Strong: Shaping Tomorrow’s Leaders, Today

With a strong foundation in excellence, leadership, and community, the Canton City School District continues to evolve, ensuring students are prepared for success in academics, careers, and life. Through strategic investments in literacy, STEM education, career training, arts, athletics, and infrastructure, the district is shaping a future where every student has access to meaningful opportunities.

“Our mission and vision are built around making sure that all of our students develop a world’s view of what’s possible for them,” Talbert states. Through expanding choice schools, strengthening career pathways, and deepening community partnerships, CCSD is setting the standard for urban education, proving that when students are connected and engaged, they thrive.

AT A GLANCE

Who: Canton City School District
What: A school district committed to student success through excellence in academics, career training, and community partnerships.
Where: Canton, Ohio
Website: www.ccsdistrict.org