ASHLAND — Supt. Steve Paramore announced Ashland City Schools will undergo a reconfiguration during the next year and a half at the annual State of the City address Wednesday night.
Beginning in 2025-2026, Paramore said Reagan Elementary School will serve all pre-K through first grade students in the district. All second- and third-grade students will attend Edison Elementary School before funneling into Taft Intermediate School.
Taft already teaches all the district’s fourth and fifth graders.
“It is a huge culture push at Ashland City Schools to make sure that not only do we understand that these are all our students, (but that) you should not be identified by the school you go to,” Paramore said.
“You are not an Edison kid. You are not a Reagan kid. You are an Ashland Arrow.”
He said using this approach offers benefits to the district.
Namely, Paramore said Reagan Elementary’s demographics mean the school is on the cusp of not receiving federal funding. With the reconfiguration, Paramore said those dollars will remain in the district and be distributed more equitably.
The shift also allows for more collaboration between teachers at their respective grade levels.
Still, the superintendent knows this type of change comes with emotions attached. Paramore promised the district would help parents navigate the logistics as the plan moves forward over the next year and a half.
Community partnerships
Paramore’s speech at State of the City highlighted a slew of other achievements and partnerships between the district and Ashland University, along with various organizations and citizens who’ve given back to the schools.
Paramore highlighted the Talon Track program, a partnership launched between Ashland City Schools and AU over the summer.
He also spoke at length about the generous donations — monetary and otherwise — the district received from community members and organizations.
Paramore said the district received $770,000 in donations over the past year. That money, he said, was put to use for academics and physical improvements to the district’s buildings and facilities.
He highlighted a new community room available for the public to reserve at Community Stadium, which was built thanks to donations.
The superintendent highlight improvements to the baseball field, also made possible by donors, and said a dedication for Bud Plank Field would come in March.
Paramore also spoke about the district’s use of the Wertman house, located on Mifflin Avenue, to provide life skills to its students with developmental disabilities.
That property came to the district via a donation from Mary Lou Wertman in 2016. It has previously been used for activities like the district’s Young Authors Workshop.
Creating citizens
Paramore concluded his comments by emphasizing his belief that the district’s work goes hand-in-hand with the growth of the city.
“I will tell you that public education — most specifically, Ashland City Schools — will not let you down,” he said. “We are here to support students not only academically, not only emotionally, (but) spiritually, in the fine arts, musically.
“We want to create citizens that can go on to be impactful and stay in Ashland.”
