“Achieving an excellent rating with a score of 25 of 26 points made this a banner year,” Jon Ritchie, superintendent of Orrville City Schools, told the Orrville Lions at their morning meeting Oct. 25. Highlights of student academic support include reading and math improvement activities, curricular alignment, the Success School and the College Academy. “Our academic program has made significant progress and continues to improve,” said Ritchie.

Regarding the financial stability of the district, Ritchie stated, “We always do the best we can with what we have.” The district has reduced staff by 15 percent (minus special education), cut central staff in half, and with the administrative compact saved approximately one million dollars for the combined district over three years.

Ritchie reviewed the four stages of the facilities projects for the building and renovation of the Orrville Middle School, elementary school, and the high school, which will open in 2013-2014. He suggested “Orrville City Schools may need continued community support in the way of a possible operating levy in May 2013.”

The next meeting of the Orrville Lions Club will feature the executive director of OrrVilla, George Bixler, Nov. 8, at 7:45 a.m. in the community room of the Dunlap Community Hospital. The public is always welcome.