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September 18, 2020
Dear North Royalton City Schools' Community,
The 2020-21 school year is off and running. Yesterday, as I stated in a correspondence to our community, Governor DeWine acknowledged that our County remained in the orange so we will be welcoming back our students as part of our plan in the Blended Learning Phase. Principals will be communicating specific information to parents this weekend. Reopening plan information as well as our COVID-19 dashboard can be found by clicking here. The Class of 2033 began their careers with the North Royalton City School District on September 8. We know that the journey of these 253 kindergarten students will take them places that none of us can even imagine at this time. I am so excited for them as they will benefit from the fantastic staff we have and also be able to have state-of-the-art facilities for their journey. I am also excited for our seniors, and all of our high school students, as they will be able to experience the brand new STEM wing at the high school when they return to school. This new addition, when coupled with the renovated areas of the 1970 and 1980's addition when they are completed later this spring will provide the inspiration for our staff and students to allow everyone to reach their fullest potential. While this is not the way that any of us wanted to start school, there are exciting things that lay ahead for our District.
I hope that you find this monthly newsletter informative and a good way to keep you up to date on the happenings of our schools and the Board of Education. I would welcome any thoughts and comments that you have in regards to this or anything dealing with the North Royalton City Schools. Please call me at 440-582-9030 or email me at greg.gurka@northroyaltonsd.org.
Sincerely,
Greg Gurka Superintendent North Royalton City Schools
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Graph 1 compares our monthly operating receipts to the prior year actual for the first two months of our fiscal year (July 2020 through June 2021). It further estimates our collection through our fiscal year end. You will notice two large collection points in our fiscal year. These two months are considerably higher due to real estate collection representing over 70% of our revenues.
Graph 2 compares our monthly operating expenditures to the prior year actual for the first two months of our fiscal year (July 2020 through June 2021). It further estimates our expenditures through our fiscal year end. You will notice a consistent expenditure pattern throughout our fiscal year due to salaries and wages evenly distributed throughout our fiscal year.
Graph 3 illustrates the current actual accumulative monthly operating revenues and expenditures for the first two months of our fiscal year (July 2020 through June 2021). It further estimates our accumulative revenues and expenditures through our fiscal year end. You will notice a gradual increase in both revenues and expenditures as we approach our fiscal year end where revenues falls short of expenditures. 
Graph 4 illustrates our fiscal year to date operating expenditures by category for the first two months of our fiscal year (July 2020 through June 2021). Salary and Wages represent approximately 62%, Fringe Benefits 27%, Purchased Services 9%, Materials Supplies, Textbooks, Capital Outlay and Operational Fees 2%.
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LINKS to District Financials
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Click here for the North Royalton City Schools' five-year forecast.
Interested in reading more? District financial information such as our annual financial reports, forecasts, tax rates, etc., can be found by clicking here.
Biagio Sidoti, Treasurer
North Royalton City Schools
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North Royalton High School is pleased to announce that Dylan Bellomy, Jake Bulkowski and Christopher Linne have been named National Merit Semifinalists by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. There are approximately 16,000 Semifinalists in the 66th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. These academically-talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,600 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $30 million that will be offered next spring. To be considered for a Merit Scholarship® award, Semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the Finalist level of the competition. About 90 percent of the Semifinalists are expected to attain finalist standing, and about half of the finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar® title.
North Royalton High School is pleased to announce that Riley Gagliano and Andrew Osborne have been named National Merit Commended Students by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. More than two-thirds (about 34,000) of the approximately 50,000 high scorers on the PSAT/NMSQT® receive Letters of Commendation in recognition of their outstanding academic promise. Commended Students are named on the basis of a nationally applied Selection Index score that may vary from year to year and is typically below the level required for participants to be named Semifinalists in their respective states. Although Commended Students do not continue in the competition for National Merit® Scholarships, some of these students do become candidates for Special Scholarships sponsored by corporations and businesses.
North Royalton Alumni Association Dedicates Historic Bell Tower to North Royalton High School
As construction of the new high school persists and much of its extensive history is replaced with modern classrooms and contemporary technology, the North Royalton Alumni Association has dedicated the landmark bell tower to North Royalton High School to serve as an emblem of commemoration to the North Royalton community. On Tuesday, September 8, officers of the Alumni Association gathered to unveil the new home for the bell, with Alumni Association member Marlyn Cerino ringing the bell to recall memories from their youth.
Previously held in Heritage Hallway, the 100-year-old, cast-steel bell will now be displayed in the tower above the North Gate at Serpentini Chevrolet Stadium. The 300-pound bell, adorned with lights to allow for others to view it from afar, allows for alumni to fondly reminisce over their high school days and provides community members with an ever present reminder of North Royalton's past.
"I believe that the bell tower is a symbol of the community's history and what it was like when it was a smaller city. Back in the early days, almost everything revolved around the schools and the kids in their various programs and activities," said Assistant Superintendent Jim Presot, North Royalton City Schools. Dating back to its creation in the early 1900s, the bell was housed in a grandeur two-story bell tower with immense room, allotting space for the principal's office on the second floor of the building. Ringing promptly at 9 a.m., the chime of the bell indicated the beginning of the school day for students of the former E.E. Root High School.
In the early 1970s, school administration placed it on a mobile cart beside the football field to allow band members and cheerleaders alike the opportunity to ring the bell to signal points earned by the North Royalton Bears Football Team, allowing for a celebration from those in the stands.
"So many people who grew up in North Royalton who attended school and continue to live here remember the bell and remember it being rung after football games," said Presot. While the dedication of the bell helps to preserve much of North Royalton High School's substantial history, administration has implemented a variety of new ideas to allow for continued commemoration, such as the creation of the "Wall of Fame." Located in the new high school, the Wall of Fame allows people both inside and outside of the building to access yearbooks, records, and an abundance of historical information regarding the school.
"After the football games, the entire crowd and players would walk to the bell tower and ring the bell after the team won its game," said Alumni Association Board Member Bob Abram. "This was something really special as the entire community could celebrate together. It was a big deal when I was growing up."
"My memory of the bell was on a cart on the sideline of the old field and it was a big deal to ring the bell when our team scored a goal or a touchdown," said Principal Sean Osborne, North Royalton High School. "It will be so nice to hear the bell ring again in success and victory. The bell finally has a home that is commensurate with the importance of the memories it spurs."
With the dedication of the new bell by the Alumni Association, the creation of the new high school will be perfectly complemented by the historical presence of the nearby bell tower. "My personal hope is that people will look at the bell and remember all of the positive things about NRHS and the lasting memories they will or have made over the years," said Presot.
North Royalton High School Junior Wins Ohio Invention League Competition
 North Royalton High School Junior Halina Tri-Leanza earned first place in the Ohio Invention League's "Invention Convention," in which she constructed the sensory pencil as her submission to help students with learning difficulties. Tri-Leanza created the sensory pencil to encourage focus in the classroom and help eliminate the hardships students with anxiety and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) frequently endure. To make her creation a reality in the classroom, she continues to work diligently on a prototype that can be mass-produced for students of all ages to utilize. Given the success of her invention and the top honors she received, her submission may represent Ohio at next year's National Convention.
"I enjoyed the creative environment that allowed for an outlet for me to explore my passion for STEM," said Tri-Leanza. As a three-year member of North Royalton's Science Olympiad team, she feels her presence on the team and the exposure to similar competitions enabled her to perform strongly at the Invention Convention. Additionally, she credits her sophomore year English teacher, Michelle Kovach, as being one of her greatest inspirations and believes she was motivated by her every day.
In reference to the incredible impact Kovach had on Tri-Leanza's confidence, her mom, Jeany Tri, said in an appreciative email to Kovach that she had been "one of the few teachers to truly take the time to get to know her, to push her out of her comfort zone and help her believe she is capable of so much more."
Furthermore, she said to Kovach, "You are an example of what teaching was meant to be in its purest form. You provide knowledge but remember that a teen's sense of self and purpose is what ultimately leads to true learning."
She also credits Kovach's reference letter in assisting in Tri-Leanza's acceptance into the Hyland Tech club, and helping her be chosen for the University of Cincinnati Women in Engineering camp. Carrying with her the experiences of winning first place in this competition, her submission exhibits immense potential to be easily produced and assists those with learning difficulties in the classroom as she showcases her enthusiasm for STEM.
Cuyahoga County Public Library Debuts New Video Showcasing Services and Reopening
Cuyahoga County Public Library recently debuted a new video highlighting the profound impact its programs, resources and services have on their customers. It showcases the efforts the library is making to serve customers virtually during this pandemic and welcome them back safely as we reopen. We value our partnership with the North Royalton branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library.
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Be sure to visit #NRInspireGreat as well as our District Facebook page
for pictures and stories from all of our buildings.
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Know! To Beware of the Benadryl Challenge
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to read the District's Quality Profile.
to read the latest edition of the The Bear Way Click herefor the NR Board of Education meeting minutes and agendas. Click here for meeting dates for 2020.
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