District Newsletter: 03/05/2026

Reminders!

March 13 (Fri.) - Last Day of Classes Before Spring Break

March 16-20 (Mon.-Fri.) - Spring Break; No Classes for Students or Teachers

March 23 (Mon.) - No Classes for Students; Teacher Workday

March 24 (Tues.) - Students Return to Classes

Facilities Phase I FAQs: Going In-Depth with Answers to Your Questions 

An in-depth set of questions and answers covering many topics related to our proposed Facilities Phase I project is available now on the district website.

We encourage you to learn more about our Facilities Phase I recommendation and Bexley Schools’ tremendous need for facility upgrades. Topics include: Why Now? The Big Picture; Recommended Phase I Parts; Why a New Middle School?; Funding the Plan; Why Turf Is Critical to This Plan; Use of Green Space; Other Options Considered; and Post-Election Information.

Please also check the website for new information in the future, as additional questions and answers will be added as more information is available, or as new and relevant questions are presented to us.

The following are three questions from the in-depth Q&A webpage. See the rest at bex.fyi/faqs.

Examples of Questions & Answers Found Online

What Is the Vision Behind the Bexley Facilities Project?

The Bexley Facilities Project is a long-range, three-phase plan designed to ensure Bexley remains a top-performing school district for the next 100 years. Developed with extensive community input, the plan balances educational needs, necessary facility repairs, and fiscal responsibility.

Our goal is to modernize learning environments, improve aging infrastructure, and make the best possible use of Bexley’s limited footprint while continuing to deliver the high-quality education our community expects.

What Comes Next After Phase I?

Phase I is the first step in a three-phase plan. While it is too early to set firm timelines for Phases II and III, the district is committed to transparency and will engage the community before moving forward with any additional phases.

Future phases could include:

• Additional capital expenditure system upgrades prioritized across the district
• Updates to Bexley High School to modernize learning spaces, or a possibly construct a new high school building 
• Updates and possible additions of new space to all three elementary schools
• Use of the current middle school space as “swing space” during future upgrades to other buildings
• Removal or partial removal of the existing middle school structure to create more green space in Central Bexley
• Potential development of athletic and outdoor learning opportunities on the Cassady Avenue land

Why Consider a Hybrid Funding Approach?

A hybrid approach:

• Balances the impact across homeowners and income earners
• Provides a more equitable funding structure for residents
• Maintains flexibility for the district as financial conditions evolve

The Board of Education will evaluate funding options carefully before making its final decision.

You Can Access the Complete FAQ Information Online

at bex.fyi/faqs

State of the Community Event Gives Residents Insight into School Facilities Needs 

You are encouraged to watch the superintendent’s short presentation made during last week’s annual community event, held this year at St. Charles Prep School’s new Brotherhood Center. You can access the video on the district's YouTube Channel.

Don’t Miss This Sunday’s Choir Concert Featuring the High School and 8th Grade Choirs

This Sunday, March 8, is the 8th Grade and High School Choral Concert. The event begins at 2 p.m. in the Schottenstein Theater. This promises to be an enjoyable afternoon of music in a multitude of styles and languages with some guest instrumentalists.

The senior class also will be honored, as this is their final performance at BHS (the April concert is offsite). The concert is free, so plan to attend and show your support of our incredibly talented singers!

Girls Swim Team Finishes Third in State Competition to End Another Successful Season

Congratulations to Bexley’s girls swimming team, which finished 3rd in state competition for the second consecutive year! The Division II OHSAA state swim meet was held last Friday in Canton.

Bexley’s girls earned podium finishes in the following events:

• Sophomore Katie Drummond finished in 2nd place in the 50-yard freestyle event and took 3rd place in the 100-yard butterfly event
• Sophomore Sophie Dankof finished in 4th place in the 100-yard backstroke event, setting a new school record, and finished in 9th place in the 100-yard breaststroke event
• Taking 2nd place in the 200-yard medley relay were Sophie Dankof, sophomore Vivi Hoy, Katie Drummond and Genevieve Bennett
• The 400-yard freestyle relay team of  junior Avery Chapman, senior Hadley Langolf, senior Charlotte Holzhall and Katie Drummond finished in 3rd place

Finishing in 9th place in the 200-yard freestyle relay was the team of Avery Chapman, sophomore Coco Kaplansky, freshman Kendal Starkey and Charlotte Holzhall.

For Second Straight Year, BMS Student Wins State’s MLK Jr. Scholastic Art Contest

For the second consecutive year, a Bexley Middle School student won a top award in the state’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Art, Essay & Multimedia Contest. Congratulations to 7th grader Madison Lobedan, who won the event’s 7th-Grade Art category.

The contest is hosted each year by the Ohio Civil Rights Commission, which recognized Madison and others from throughout the state during an awards ceremony last week.

Madison was joined by her family and Rachel Lovely, her English/Language Arts teacher, at the event.

The 2026 contest theme considered Dr. King’s 1968 speech, “Shattered Dreams,” when he said, “We must accept finite disappointment but never lose infinite hope.” According to Mrs. Lovely, students were invited to use their artist talents to portray how they believe society can overcome setbacks and stay hopeful. 

The Ohio Civil Rights Commission holds the contest to encourage students to reflect upon Dr. King’s life, philosophy, and impact, and challenge students to consider “how civil rights and diversity affect their lives and how they can continue the work of Dr. King in their own way.”

BE A CHAMPION

Montrose Staff Member Honored as ‘Champion’

Congratulations to Montrose Elementary’s Anna Wernicke, who was recognized recently as a district Champion!

Ms. Wernicke, a school paraprofessional, was honored for Demonstrating Kindness, the second pillar of the district’s mission. Sharing that she “has high hopes and expectations,” Mrs. Wernicke’s nomination stated, “She teaches responsibility, respect, and kindness to the children that she mentors. Anna demonstrates what a true champion acts like with the patience, love and kindness that she brings to Montrose each and every day!” Way to BE Ms. Wernicke! 

Pictured: Superintendent Dr. Jason Fine; Anna Wernicke; and Jess Bartimus, Montrose head cook

Bexley Field Hockey Players Receive National Academic Recognition for Third Straight Year

Five members of the Bexley High School field hockey team were recently named to the 2025 High School National Academic Squad by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA). 

Congratulations to junior Aero Boyer, junior Ellis Hockman, senior Lucy Hogan, junior Sydney Holt, and senior Sofie McCoy for receiving the honor! Additionally, Ellis Hockman was named a Scholar of Distinction.

Pictured from left: Field hockey coach Kara Whitlatch; Ellis Hockman; Sydney Holt; Aero Boyer; Lucy Hogan; and Sofie McCoy.

Each year, the National Field Hockey Coaches Association recognizes student-athletes nationwide who achieved a cumulative grade-point average of 3.5 or higher through the first semester of this school year. Those named Scholars of Distinction achieved a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.9 out of 4.0.

This is the second consecutive year Lucy Hogan and Sofie McCoy received the NFHCA honors and the third consecutive year Bexley field hockey players were recognized for academic achievement by the organization.

Cassingham Gathering Featured ‘Honest’ Cubs and Cultural Dance and Music

Cassingham Elementary students and staff members were treated to an enlightening and fun Cub Gathering last Friday, when the students celebrated each other and Black History Month. The event also included the kickoff of the school’s participation in the Kids Heart Challenge.

To open the assembly, five staff members, including Principal David Schottner, performed an African American fraternity/sorority step routine.

Students cheered wildly for their faculty members, which also included music teacher Bill Manchester, paraprofessional Akilah Wilson, 1st-grade teacher Adie Young, and Dr. Stephen Lewis, the district’s director of school community engagement.

The gathering also recognized more than 20 students, one from each class, for their Honesty.

A short testimonial from each teacher stating why their student was selected and how they model Honesty was read when introducing each student.

Later in the program, 3rd-grade students performed a West African dance, with the drum accompaniment of Ms. Wilson, and 5th graders performed an original hip hop song. The program ended with all students singing Lift Every Voice and Sing, led by the Cassingham choir.

Local Author & Alum Offers Creative Writing Tips to Middle School Students 

Bexley High School alum and local author Chip Reeves recently met with 6th graders, teaching them ways to sharpen their creative writing skills.

The author, who debuted his first novel last year, encouraged the students to “read anything and everything,” and told the students, “You will learn a lot from reading books outside what you normally read.”

Mr. Reeves, a member of the BHS Class of 2007, is the author of The Authentic Imaginings of Oscar White, a highly rated fantasy book for teens and preteens.

He used his time with the students to discuss his love of reading and writing, telling the students that “the more you write, the better you get.” He also encouraged them to write every day, whether it is journaling, short stories, or writing messages.

He shared how, as a young Bexley student, he found his creative voice and used his love of writing to launch his career, beginning first with earning a degree in journalism and later becoming a published novelist.

Reviews of Reeves’ novel, The Authentic Imaginings of Oscar White, say it “combines the wonder of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll with the deadpan silliness of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.”

Important Dates

Tomorrow Evening! March 6 (Fri.) – Middle School Dance, 7:15 p.m., Gymnasium

March 7 (Sat.) – Montrose Fun for All, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. School Gymnasium; Volunteer Online

Note the Date! March 8 (Sun.) – 8th Grade/High School Choir Concert, 2 p.m., Schottenstein Theatre

March 13 (Fri.) – Last Day of Classes Before Spring Break

March 16-20 (Mon.-Fri.) – Spring Break; No Classes for Students or Teachers

March 23 (Mon.) – No Classes for Students; Teacher Workday

March 24 (Tues.) – Students Return to Classes