West Geauga Local Schools – Chesterland, Ohio

July 29, 2024

West Geauga Local Schools

A Student-Centered Approach

An Ohio School District Exemplifying Excellence and Innovation

Offering a unique blend of rural charm and suburban convenience, the West Geauga School District, fondly referred to as “West G”, is a testament to educational excellence and community pride. Serving the picturesque communities of Geauga County, this district of approximately 2,000 students is continuing to evolve and is celebrated statewide for its commitment to academic achievement, innovative teaching methods, and comprehensive student support.

In the words of Superintendent, Dr. Richard Markwardt, “One of the first things that we emphasize is giving our students, and our staff, a safe, nurturing, learning environment. And that incorporates a lot of different elements, including physical safety, emotional safety, the opportunity to grow, and the opportunity to fail. And when people fail, we allow them to try again and to eventually achieve success.”

A Vision of Excellence

As Superintendent of the West Geauga School District since 2015, Dr. Markwardt recalls the ambitious goals set by the Board upon his arrival. “Academically they felt that the district was under-achieving and they’d like to be in the top five percentage of districts in the state within five years,” he recounts. “Well, I think we’ve done better than that.”

The Board’s goals set a vision at West Geauga Local Schools that staff has embraced. This vision has influenced practices from hiring to program evaluating to training. Rather than filling traditional school district leadership roles when hiring, Markwardt notes that “we look to fill district needs that serve our larger vision of excellence.” Dr. Markwardt points out that the district emphasis on leadership recruitment has enabled us to find the best administrators who help craft their own positions to best support the work. This approach sets West Geauga apart and helps to attract talented staff to a small suburban district.

Now high-performing, West Geauga has made great strides over the last decade, to reach its academic potential. “We’ve probably charted more academic gains than any other district in the state,” says Markwardt. He attributes this success to the efforts of students, support from the community, and a forward-thinking team of teachers and leaders, boasting,

“We have a pretty outstanding staff who are amenable to new ideas and who will incorporate those ideas into their classroom.” Noting that all educators in Ohio are teaching to the same state standards, Markwardt emphasizes, “It’s how we teach to those standards that separate us from many other districts. There’s a great deal of emphasis here on the importance of instruction, and in terms of how we hire people, and then how we work with those people to develop their skills once they’re here.”

To meet the diverse needs of students, Dr. Markwardt says the district had to make some changes. “We’ve sort of moved the whole curve to the right, in that we’ve upped the middle,” he explains. “We’ve increased in terms of rigor, and we’ve made it tougher to earn an A than what it was 10 years ago. We also have put in place many supports for our lower achieving kids.”

Proactively, the district uses a Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) model, addressing struggling students’ needs before they face significant academic setbacks. Dr. Markwardt mentions Amy Davis, Director of Pupil Personnel, sharing, “She was talking about our efforts in inclusion and equity. And she said the most equitable thing we can do is ensure that all of our children achieve proficiency or above in their academics. And that’s become a driving force for the district.” In addition, West Geauga Local Schools has revamped its approach to gifted education, making the effort to engage families more actively.

“These kids also need opportunities to expand their minds and grow to their capacity and that may mean accelerating or expanding a curriculum, but the parents want to be involved in that,” he asserts.

Initiatives such as these have brought unparalleled academic gains for West Geauga, as Markwardt summarizes, “We’ve done an exemplary job of providing additional services for all of our kids.”

Academic Achievement and Beyond

Assistant Superintendent Dr. Nancy Benincasa highlights the district’s approach to early literacy, and their use of the Science of Reading framework long before the state of Ohio mandated it.

“About eight years ago we were working with colleagues that were well versed in the Science of Reading, and we studied it collegially as teacher teams and administrators,” she details. “We have built from the ground up, an early literacy and literacy program, steeped in the belief system of the Science of Reading and we’re very proud of that work.”

For the older students, West Geauga is forging innovative pathways, blending academics with real-world career opportunities. “We have a fairly large group of our students at the high school taking college courses with the College Credit Plus (CPP) programming. We’re located close to Lakeland Community College, and we also have those classes within our high school, where we’re able to utilize some of our staff to teach them,” reports Karen Pavlat, Treasurer and CFO.

The district has also embraced Excel TECC, a CTE program that offers students career-focused opportunities. “We have 25% of our kids that participate in this programming, that is anything from horticulture to cosmetology, computers, marketing,” Pavlat conveys. These programs are bolstered by strong community partnerships with institutions like the Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals, and other local entities.

Situated near a major metropolitan area, West Geauga leverages its location to develop valuable partnerships with local businesses, as Markwardt portrays, “On the one hand, we can work with our chamber of commerce, we can access the mom and pop shops and the local businesses, because we do have some pretty thriving businesses in the area. But then we also have families in our district, who are the CEOs of major, in some cases, global, enterprises.”

These partnerships not only provide employment opportunities for students but also facilitate enriching experiences such as internships in advanced fields. Dr. Markwardt points to specific success stories, including ISSQUARED, a global cybersecurity firm with a presence in West Geauga, and Forge Biologics, a biotech company founded by a member of the community. “So, those are things that are cool that you wouldn’t think in a school district of this size, in a semi-rural setting, we would have for our kids. It’s really due to the community connections that we have,” he admits.

Additionally, West Geauga Schools’ participation in the Regional Business Advisory Council shows its commitment to workforce development. This council, facilitated by the Educational Service Center of the Western Reserve, connects the district with employers who offer internships and employment, further connecting students with real-world learning experiences.

Navigating Challenges and Embracing Growth

West Geauga’s resilience was put to the test during the pandemic, which coincided with the absorption of the neighboring Newbury School District. “As part of that, we had to reconfigure our buildings. So, we had to implement a new grade leveling system and move half of our staff to split up our elementary buildings from being two K-5 buildings to a K-2 and a 3-5. It was a big lift for this district,” Markwardt affirms, adding that despite some initial challenges and adjustments, the integration has been remarkably successful.

Looking ahead, the district plans to consolidate its aging infrastructure with a centralized campus model, an investment of over $100 million. “We are planning to put that to our residents to vote on a bond issue, to build a new 6-12 building, and to renovate our middle school into a PreK-five,” describes Pavlat. “It’ll be a big change for this community, but one of the things that we are proud of is that we have a small but mighty group, and we can make those changes happen.”

In terms of other future goals Dr. Markwardt states, “I think we need to keep our foot on the gas about academics, because although we’ve made significant achievements, we still have room to grow, as I think any district does. We have a group here who’s determined to continue to provide the best academic opportunities we can for our kids, and our teachers as well, so that they can hone their craft in a setting that’s conducive to learning.”

A Vibrant Outlook

West Geauga Local Schools exemplifies what can be achieved when a district combines visionary leadership, innovative teaching, strong community partnerships, and a commitment to every student’s success. As it looks to the future, the district remains focused on its mission to provide a high-quality education that meets the needs of every learner. Benincasa stresses,

“Our job isn’t to simply prepare our students to live in West Geauga. Our job is to prepare our students for a global economy. And that’s what we want to do here.”