Jackson Local School District

Top of the Class

Pioneering Leadership and Innovation in Education

Jackson Local Schools is a distinguished suburban public school district serving approximately 6,000 K-12 students across 43 square miles, in Stark County, Ohio. Recently, this forward-thinking district has garnered attention not just for academic excellence but for its groundbreaking approach to leadership development within the educational sector.

Pillars of Success

The district’s operational and strategic approach is anchored in five core values, referred to by Superintendent, Christopher DiLoreto, as their “main thing.”

He says the foremost value is academic performance, emphasizing student achievement and educational excellence. Equally important is resource management, encompassing the oversight of the district’s 650 employees, a vast 1 million square feet of facilities across six school buildings, nearly 300 acres of grounds, and a fleet of 80 school buses.

Governance is another cornerstone, ensuring compliance with federal and state laws, and collective bargaining agreements. DiLoreto maintains that communication and collaboration also play a vital role, and the district focuses on efficient interactions with stakeholders, forming partnerships with booster clubs, nonprofits, and for-profit organizations. Lastly, he highlights the priority on safety and security, where the emphasis includes safeguarding students, staff, and facilities while addressing the importance of mental health support. “We strive to be the best in those five areas, that we refer to as our ‘main thing’,” DiLoreto affirms.

Growing Leaders from Within

In addressing the leadership vacuum prevalent in public education, Jackson Local Schools has undertaken a proactive approach to succession planning, beginning when Superintendent DiLoreto and Assistant Superintendent, Barry Mason were approached by the Board of Education about enrolling in an MBA program. DiLoreto recounts, “That was really to look at what are the best business practices you can incorporate in a public school setting. We went through a traditional MBA that was not tailored to the K-12 public school sector.”

He notes that during this time, the challenge of preparing for leadership transitions became evident, as many experienced staff members approached retirement. As a solution, the district began to embrace the philosophy of “building our bench” rather than relying on external hires, especially for roles requiring a deep understanding of public education. “We started to look at how we could partner with a local university and customize an MBA. The accreditation that a university must get for any degree, we certainly understand, but we wanted to make it more relevant,” he details. “As an example, if I’m sitting in a traditional MBA course, and I analyzing a case study regarding the marketing of Starbucks or something that isn’t similar to the K-12 public school sector; compared to if I could market our school district using those similar Starbucks concepts and participate in a collaborative discussion with colleagues in a classroom.”

This led to a strategic partnership with Walsh University, and Stark County Educational Service Center, to develop a customized MBA program tailored to the needs of K-12 education. “It’s a rather unique journey. This is a pioneering approach that offers a targeted MBA. We want to ensure we’re developing our leaders with those MBA concepts and tying it to a K-12 public school system,” DiLoreto relays.

Currently, a cohort of nine students are participating in the program, 5 of which are employees of Jackson Local Schools. “It has been beneficial because we’re growing our leaders and working on those business practices that they’re learning about. The relevancy is right here within our local public school district, Jackson Local,” says DiLoreto, who maintains that this initiative not only fosters internal leadership development but also aligns with contemporary business practices.

Todd Porter, Director of Communications and Data Analytics for the district, and also a participant in the MBA cohort, describes his experience in the program, sharing, “It’s really kind of developed a nice collegial atmosphere with all of us in the program from Jackson and our colleagues from the Stark County Educational Service Center. When you talk about financial accounting and management, instead of looking at a publicly traded company’s P&L sheet, we’re looking at a school district’s five-year forecast as an example. We are able to get granular and look at where revenue is coming from, what projections are, where expenditures are coming from, and how might those evolve. So, it’s a much more applicable course.”

An Investment in the Future

By investing in their employees’ education and creating clear career progression paths, Jackson Local Schools aims to cultivate a pool of skilled leaders ready to step into more significant roles within the district. “As we hire people, we are identifying who are the best and brightest, we’re retaining those people, we’re investing in them to get their MBAs. And then there is a path forward, a career ladder for them to continue to grow into other leadership roles within our school district,” DiLoreto asserts.

He acknowledges that the process of identifying and developing these future leaders often involves evaluating candidates who are already part of the team. He explains that while traditional hiring practices involve a rigorous interview process, internal candidates—who have already demonstrated their abilities over time—are continuously being assessed through their day-to-day performance. “We always talk about how you’re interviewing every day for jobs that don’t even exist yet,” he says.

To foster this internal development, Jackson Local Schools has implemented a strategy of nurturing its talent. This includes providing formal education and clear career progression paths to retain and advance employees. He details, “Currently, we have two MBAs, myself, and our assistant superintendent. By this time next year, we’ll be adding five more for a total of seven in our public school system here at Jackson Local.” These include those in roles such as building-level principals, the district’s treasurer, and the Director of Communications and Data Analytics. “This cannot be done without a progressive school board that’s forward-leaning, who are incorporating MBAs in their respective industries,” DiLoreto underscores. For example, Jackson Local Board of Education member Christopher Goff is the President and CEO of Employers Health. His company has integrated an MBA program and Goff was the catalyst for introducing the concept to Jackson Local Schools.

Talent Recruitment and Retention

As a high-performing school district, Jackson Local Schools does not face the same staffing shortages as other regions. “We are a wealthy suburb, here in Northeast Ohio. We have many, many potential candidates that are ecstatic to work for our school system,” DiLoreto said. To manage and support new employees, particularly during their formative years in education, the district has implemented a robust onboarding process, conducting regular surveys and check-ins to monitor and address potential burnout and to support the professional growth of new hires. “As we’re beginning to see how they’re working, we’re talking to them about going back and getting their next degree and talking to them about their career ladders,” he said. “We’re trying to build the bench there as well, for who’s our next department chair, or who can now come into entry-level management.” The goal is to build a pipeline of skilled individuals ready to step into management or specialized positions as they become available.

Porter also notes the district’s strong reputation, as evidenced by the recent social studies opening which had 60 applicants. The commitment to supporting new teachers through mentorship and ensuring a balanced work-life environment is well-recognized and attracts top candidates. “Our Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment, Dr. Monica Myers, does a great job of supporting our new teachers with mentor teachers,” he maintains.

While the district prefers to promote from within, DiLoreto recognizes that there are times when it is of value to hire externally for specific roles. “As an example, for somebody who is our Director of Safety and Security, we’re looking at maybe the agency of the FBI, or the Ohio State Highway Patrol, for those kinds of roles.”

A Legacy of Innovation

As Jackson Local Schools continues to innovate and lead, it sets a high benchmark for educational excellence and leadership development. The district’s proactive and strategic initiatives promise a bright future, not just for its students but for the entire educational community.

In DiLoreto’s words, “Rather than invest in our employees and then for them to leave us, we’re taking our best and brightest, investing in them, growing them, retaining them, and ensuring they see a career ladder in front of them.” This pioneering effort is a testament to Jackson Local Schools’ ongoing commitment to excellence and innovation in education.

AT A GLANCE

Jackson Local School District

What: A District with a Progressive Approach to Leadership and Succession Planning

Where: Stark County, Ohio

Website: www.jackson.stark.k12.oh.us