This year, school supplies are taking an exciting new twist: Bring Your Own Technology (BYOT). That’s right, we’re encouraging students to bring a smartphone, tablet device or laptop computer to school. To gain 21st Century learning and innovation skills, students need to be supported with information, media and technology. Now we’re encouraging them to get connected to classes, teachers and learning through new district-wide Wi-Fi, student email, and more.

Families will be connected to Granville Schools in new ways this year, too. We are introducing a new Parent Portal, a one-stop shop regarding your child’s education career at Granville Schools. With just one login, parents will have access to Progress Book, achievement results, bus routes, lunch accounts and more. Each family will receive a letter in early August detailing Parent Portal features and how to access the system.

Another way to get connected to our schools will be through our new website. New, updated and consolidated content will greet visitors beginning in early August. After Labor Day, we will also introduce SchoolMessenger, our new message alert system that uses phone calls, emails, text messages and even Social Media alerts to enhance our ability to communicate with students, parents, staff and community.

Beginning this year…

• We have consolidated bus routes, reducing our routing by 20 percent. Parents should login to the Parent Portal to check their child’s updated bus information. 
• For the first time in three years, we have raised lunch prices -- by just 10 cents. This keeps our Fresh Foods program operating in the black, and not dependent on district operating funds.
• The Granville Board of Education has approved a new Activity Fee for middle and high school students to offset some costs for co- and extracurricular programs: $50 for all high school students and $20 for all middle school students.
• The Board has adopted an updated Hazing and Bullying policy to ensure all students feel safe in our schools and to learn in a healthy, supportive environment. The most important piece of advice we can give parent/guardians is to report an incident as soon as it happens. Please do not wait, tell us immediately when threatening behavior is happening in our schools.  Click here to view our policy or anonymously report an incident.

The Granville Board of Education is aggressively seeking to achieve its 2010 campaign promise to the community by making the approved 5.8 mills operating revenue levy last three years. In order to reach this goal, the Board has directed us to find cost savings through reductions and cost avoidance.

Many of the changes for the coming school year reflect our best efforts to maintain our promise. Consolidated bus routes, increased lunch prices and Pay-to-Participate program all hold down district expenses. Summer capital improvement projects were planned to provide long-term savings, or in one case, was rebid to achieve lower pricing.

The Granville Schools continue to excel and thrive thanks to your continued support. On behalf of our students, staff and families, Thank You.

Here’s to a great school year ahead – Go Blue Aces!

Your Partner in Education,

Jeff Brown

Superintendent
Granville Exempted Village Schools
740-587-8110
jrbrown@granvilleschools.org