About Our District

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Dr. John Stoddard
Superintendent

April 2025

Berkshire Families,

There will be no school tomorrow, Friday, April 18th for students and staff, and on behalf of everyone in the Berkshire Local Schools, please enjoy your holiday weekend.

Congratulations to the student-performers, crew members, and advisors associated with this spring’s production of Mamma Mia! Your talents were put to use in a special way this past weekend, and the attending audiences truly enjoyed your work! Great job to everyone!

Online Survey for Special Education Families

The Berkshire Local Schools invites parents and caregivers of children receiving special education services to participate in an online survey sponsored by The Ohio Statewide Family Engagement Center, located on The Ohio State University Campus. The short survey is open now through May 7, 2025, and can be completed in around ten minutes. Please use the following link to access the Special Education Family Survey, being sure to enter the passcode, 2025, to view and complete the survey. Once again, this online survey is open only to parents and caregivers of students receiving special education services. Thank you for your consideration.

Transparency with Finances

The Berkshire Local Schools works hard to promote transparency and accuracy with all aspects of our district’s operations, particularly with finances. We’re proud to share a comprehensive update on the financial picture of the Berkshire Local School District. As part of our commitment to transparency and responsible stewardship of community resources, we have prepared a detailed Funding Story for Fiscal Year 2024, that you can access here, and click the Funding Our Schools tab. This page features the report which outlines where our funding comes from, how we use the funding, and how decisions at the state and federal levels affect our local schools. Our goal is to keep you informed and involved, especially as state leaders begin discussions on the next biennium budget, which could have significant implications for districts like ours. We encourage you to review the full report if you can, and at minimum, check out the podcast as well. With questions, please feel free to reach out to our Treasurer Beth McCaffrey at any time.

Berkshire Named Ohio CAT Tier 1 School District

The Berkshire Local Schools were recently informed of their recognition as an Ohio Cat Tier 1 School, entering an exclusive partnership with Ohio Cat, that includes only 15 schools in a tri-state area. With this Tier 1 recognition, Berkshire High School students will have the opportunity to become exposed to co-op and internship opportunities, project-based learning support to our schools, access to the Ohio Cat curriculum and online materials at no cost, one engagement with their team per quarter, swag, sponsorships, and more. One such opportunity is Ohio Cat’s one day Summer Camp, available now to Berkshire High School students over the age of 15 on Thursday, June 5th. You can register, and read the full story here, for more information.

Berkshire Athletics Secures Leo Murphy Field & Equipment Grant

Berkshire Local Schools recently joined a select group of Northeast Ohio schools to be named a 2025 recipient of the Leo Murphy Field & Equipment Grant by Cleveland Touchdown Club Charities. The $3,000 grant will support the district’s growing Middle and High School football programs by going towards the purchase of new football helmets. Thanks to the efforts of Athletic Director Brian Hiscox, coaches, and families, participation in both football programs has experienced significant growth, increasing from 50-60 players in 2020, to nearly one hundred players each year since 2021. Special thanks to  Vanessa Karwan, Director of Professional Learning and Community Outreach, for her efforts as well. Read more about this story here.

Badger Lab Participates in Fun and Educational Excursion

The Berkshire Badger Lab team is always participating in special programs and activities, and recently, their Vocational Program participants took a field trip to downtown Cleveland, where students visited the Museum of Illusions. Our Badger Lab students seeking vocational training in fields related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics used their time at the museum to enhance their understanding of complex concepts and hands-on activities which support the Ohio Learning Standards. These experiences have become a vital part of the Badger Lab program, providing students with hands-on opportunities to apply important life skills in real-world settings. Great job, all!

Middle School Hosts Annual STEAM Night Program

Late last month, Berkshire Middle School hosted a valuable evening of fun and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) based activities. The annual S.T.E.A.M. Night to Remember event and Science Olympiad competitions took place where families, staff, Board Members, and the community filled our gymnasium to experience the impressive display of student learning and view independent science projects from our talented sixth grade students. Paving the way for our students’ futures with hands-on practical skills is an important value, and these traits were on full display this evening. Activities revolving around the Shark Tank concept, using our Maker Space to learn hands-on history and more, are all underway at the Middle School.

Thank you always to the community for your continued support.

Have a great long weekend.

GO BADGERS!

John Stoddard
Superintendent 
Berkshire Local Schools