Hello Worthington! Here's your recap of what happened at September 28th's Board of Education meeting. Below are brief summaries of the most significant discussions. For those interested in the full details, we've included links to longer articles where appropriate.
Overall: Four stars on the state report card
Worthington Schools earned four stars out of five on Ohio's 2025-26 report card, with five stars for gap closing, four each for achievement, progress and graduation rate, three for early literacy, and two for college, career, workforce and military readiness.
Worthington Schools' ratings on Ohio's 2025-26 state report card. Source: Presentation to the Board of Education, Sept. 28, 2026
Director of Teaching and Learning Steve Griffin told the board the early literacy rating would have reached four stars under last year's rules; the state stopped counting fourth-grade promotions made through parent requests and other exemptions, a change districts learned about after the school year ended. The two-star readiness rating reflects the class of 2025, and the district's data for the class of 2026 already sits in the three-star range. If the other measures hold, Griffin said, the district's overall rating would move to four and a half stars next year.
The rating also carries money. Treasurer TJ Cusick said the state budget now pays districts a performance supplement based on report card results. Worthington received a little over half a million dollars last year and will receive that amount again.
What parents and teachers told the district
Worthington Schools held the first key communicators meetings of the school year in mid-September. The group is the district's standing feedback network: a morning session for parents and residents, including residents with no children in the schools, and an afternoon session for teachers and staff, each with Superintendent Trent Bowers taking questions. Two board members sit in, and the comments go to the full board afterward.
This round, parents asked for more help with the move from elementary to middle school, and the discussion turned on how differently the district's eleven elementary schools operate, down to how much homework fifth graders get in one building versus another; a board member said there is an opportunity to bring "some degree of consistency" to that transition. Parents also thanked the district for conversations with students about harmful language, and one family said a child's move to Phoenix Middle School "has been a great transition". In the teacher session, staff asked for more crisis de-escalation training. The board was also told that the start of the year at Brookside Elementary has been a challenge because its daily living skills classrooms grew from three to four; the teacher who opened the fourth came from Phoenix, and the board approved hiring an intervention specialist there to fill the gap.
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In Other News
In the Schools
- Flock cameras are covered and off. The district has ended its contract for the Flock license-plate reader cameras at the high schools. The cameras are still mounted but have been bagged, Vice President Stephanie Harless reported from the Safety Committee, and the district has changed some of its own camera angles so the same areas are covered and monitored internally.
- Mental health staffing. The Safety Committee also reviewed student mental health support. The district has 10 social workers, two clinical counselors and an intern this year, and refers families who need more help to partners including Directions for Youth and Families, St. Vincent, Hazel Health and Nationwide Children's. The committee also covered fire and tornado drills, cybersecurity, and e-bike safety, and met Worthington's interim police chief.
- Portrait of a Learner survey. The district finished its second annual student survey built on its Portrait of a Learner, the framework of five skills it wants every student to build (communication, critical thinking, adaptable leadership, responsible collaboration and resilience), with 84% of students completing it. Results feed dashboards for teachers and principals. Superintendent Trent Bowers said a board presentation on the results could come in the second half of the school year.
- PTAC continues with new volunteers. PTAC, the council of the district's school PTAs and PTOs began the year without an executive board after its expected leadership fell through. Board President Amber Epling-Skinner said parents at the group's first meeting volunteered to take over its roles.
Money and Policy
New federal scholarship tax credit. Cusick said the district is waiting on federal guidance before deciding whether a new federal tax credit for donations to scholarship granting organizations could benefit Worthington students. Any such organization would be a third party separate from the district.
Budget document recognized again. The district's budget document received the Government Finance Officers Association's Distinguished Budget Presentation Award again this year.
Consent agenda approved 5-0. It included about $37,000 in donations, the largest from the Thomas Worthington High School Football Club (about $23,600) and the Thomas Worthington Hockey Parent Group (about $7,200), along with coats, school supplies and library books for several elementary schools.
Facilities and Community
Elementary facilities task force begins. The roughly 60-member community task force that will recommend a plan for the district's elementary schools and preschool, the third phase of its master facilities plan, was scheduled to hold its first meeting September 30. Harless and board member Kelli Davis will attend its meetings to listen and will not take part in the discussion. Background is in our earlier coverage and on the project site, togetherweplanphase3.com.
Joint meeting with City Council. The board is proposing October 13 for its joint meeting with Worthington City Council.
From the Superintendent's blog: Murph — Bowers writes about a longtime McCord Middle School dean of students who returned to teaching science when the dean position was eliminated, as an example of holding students to high expectations while supporting them.
The board ended the public meeting by voting 5-0 to enter executive session to discuss a personnel matter.
Upcoming Dates
Monday, October 12, 6:30 p.m. — Board of Education meeting at the Worthington Education Center, with a presentation on school community engagement.
Monday, October 26, 6:30 p.m. — Board of Education meeting, with a presentation on the elementary schools' WIN period ("What I Need" intervention time).
Monday, November 9, 6:30 p.m. — Board of Education meeting, with a board policy update.
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Thanks for reading this summary of the Board of Education meeting, you can watch the original full video here