The Kings Board of Education met Tuesday, January 14, for the annual Organizational Meeting which establishes Board leadership positions and meeting dates for the 2025 calendar year.

Congratulations to John Skerl was elected president, and Janelle Groff who was elected vice-president.

During the meeting, the Board also set the 2025 Board meeting dates.The Board will hold a Work Session on the 2nd Tuesday of the month, and a Regular Meeting on the 3rd Tuesday of the month. All meetings will be held at 6:00 p.m. in Conference Room 2 in the Kings Education Center. Watch the meeting here.

Please join all of us in the Kings Local School District in thanking our Super Hero Board of Education as we celebrate Board Recognition Month.

Thank you Stacie Belfrom, Deb Cowan, Janelle Groff, Peggy Phillips, and John Skerl, for caring about our children and giving so much to our community. Your dedicated service is recognized and truly appreciated. Happy School Board Recognition Month!

Today was a big day for the Kings Local School District! A Groundbreaking Ceremony was held for the new addition to Columbia Intermediate School.

This new addition will provide CIS with much-needed space including seven new classrooms, extended learning areas, an outdoor courtyard, and a new playground. Kings Superintendent, Greg Sears said, "Today marks more than a groundbreaking on a new addition. It represents our community's commitment to the educational excellence in our children's future."

The groundbreaking was attended by leaders from HGC Construction, SHP Leading Design, MCS & Associates, local elected officials including Ohio Senator, Steve Wilson, members from the Kings Board of Education, Kings Community Action Team members, and more.

Student representatives from each team (pictured below with Senator Wilson) were randomly selected to take part in the ceremony including Maggie Sullivan, Ryan Brosch, Lara Machado Soares, Levi Baum, Caleb Rahe, Grace Blust Lilah Garvin, Westin Wilson, Annabelle Furterer, Caiden Hill, Chaitra Reddy, Dylan Hudson, and Daniel Bokumbe. CIS Student Ambassadors Henry Frambes and Fiona Wang greeted visitors and dignitaries for the ceremony (pictured above).

The ceremony was live-streamed throughout CIS so all of the students and staff could watch. Watch the ceremony in its entirety and view a gallery of pictures here.

Preschool registration is now open for the 2025-2026 School Year. Your child must be 3 years old by August 1, 2025, and be fully potty trained in order to register. (children with disabilities do not have to be potty trained)

CLICK HERE to register.

There are some great gardeners at South Lebanon Elementary School! The third graders have been watching their tower garden filled with herbs and vegetables grow for weeks now.

This week, they got to enjoy the fruits of their labor. All semester the students have been working with their tower garden representatives Carol and Ken Sand who live in South Lebanon, to plant, monitor, and take care of their tower garden plants which include lettuce, bok choy, basil, parsley, rosemary, and dill.

The students were served dill dip and salads all made from what they grew. SLE third-grade teacher, Amanda Wey said, "The students thought it 'was the best salad they've ever tasted?"' They are looking forward to another round of gardening and of course another tasting in the Spring! Wey said that the Sands visit SLE every Wednesday and work with groups of students to check water levels, the pH, and do any replantings if needed.

There are always reasons to celebrate at Kings! On Wednesday, January 10, we honored our students of the quarter and other outstanding students at our second of three yearly District Celebrations. District Administrators and School Board members were on hand to celebrate these fantastic students. Congratulations to the following:

J.F. Burns Elementary  - 1st Grade – Jenel Albert, Kumush Ergasheva, and Phillip Medley; 2nd Grade – Adeline Peterson and Rowan Young 3rd Grade – Bento Araugo, Jake McDonough and Owen Westaway

Kings Mills Elementary  -  1st Grade – Sapar Duishobekov; 2nd Grade –Ayansh Chaddah and Trey Richmond; 3rd Grade – Piper Horn and Araina Khare; 4th Grade – Hanya Wei

South Lebanon Elementary  -  1st Grade – Trey Johnston, Caroline Lamb, and Evan Pontecorvoe; 2nd Grade – Karlah Kirkland and Max Scott (not pictured); 3rd Grade – Caroline Farris and Amelia Sargent; 4th Grade – Layla Detmer 

Columbia Intermediate  - 5th Grade – Nyah Cutright, Marana CastroBobodilla, Ava Scholl, Emma Berchtold, and Lyla Elmendorf; 6th Grade –  Ja'Koby Arrington (not pictured), PJ Smiarowski, and Hannah Petersen.

Kings Junior High  -  7th Grade –Lucas Woolery, Aadya Baranwal, and Jack Bramble (not pictured); 8th Grade –Ella Kestler, Jack Feltner, Lucy Miniard, and Bonu Samandarova

Kings High School  – Kaiser Ashby, Brayden Ksander, Averie Manley (not pictured), Alison O'Rourke, Flora Rickert, and Emily Winner

Congratulations!

Today, representatives from Kroger Pharmacy visited Kings High School to present about career pathways in pharmacy. Students in Mrs. Endress' Biomed classes and Mr. Molz's Employability classes heard from a Kroger Pharmacist and Lead Technician about their roles, their career journey, and recommendations for aspiring health care professionals. 

KHS is continuing its mission to expose students to many different career paths to help in the student's decisions for a future career.

The 6th grade students at Columbia Intermediate School have had many visitors to their classroom talking about how they use the Kings Power 5 skills (communication, collaboration, critical thinking, problem-solving, and career ready) in their line of work. This week, Hamilton Township Police Chief, Scott Hughes visited CIS to talk about how the Power 5 skills are used in police work.

Chief Hughes said that he thinks the most important Power 5 skill as a policeman is communication. Hughes shared insight on the crucial need to be an effective communicator. "Communication is not just what we say. It is also our body language, as well as our tone and written, and verbal expression," he said.

CIS is in need of Power 5 speakers for the months of February, March, April, and May. If you or anyone you know would be interested in supporting this for our students, please reach out to Ms.Abby Jackson by email at ajackson@kingslocal.net for more information.

The Jewish Hospital Mobile Mammogram Bus will be visiting the Kings School District in March.

The schedule is as follows:

Columbia Intermediate School (CIS): March 17, 2025 from 8:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

JF Burns (JFB): March 17, 2025 from 1:30-4:00 p.m.

Kings Junior High (KJH): March 18, 2025 from 8:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Kings Mills Elementary (KME): March 18, 2025 from 1:30-4:00 p.m.

Kings High School (KHS): March 20, 2025 from 8:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

South Lebanon Elementary (SLE): March 20, 2025 from 1:30-4:00 p.m.

To schedule your 3D mammogram, please call (513) 686-3300, OPTION #1. The scheduler will ask you a few questions and schedule a time and date that works for you. They take most insurances, including Medicare and Medicaid. *You need to be 40+ years old to qualify for a mammogram. However, if you are between the ages of 35-39 years old and have a strong family history of breast cancer or currently feel a lump or tissue in your breast(s), please call the number above to determine if you will qualify for a baseline screening. ALL testing is now automatically done with 3D imaging technology and no longer requires additional out-of-pocket money. If you do not have any insurance, they will work with you to provide you with a screening.

The Kings High School Women in STEM Club is hosting a STEM Fair on Monday, February 3 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at Kings High School.

This event is open to the community. It is a great opportunity to learn more about Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. There will be a lot of STEM activities to take part in and the event is FREE! Hope to see you there!

Kings Kloset will be open on Saturday, January 18, from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m.

Kings Kloset is a volunteer-run second-hand clothing store that offers FREE children's and adult apparel for community members in need.

They greatly appreciate your willingness to give back to the community. However, they have very limited space and can only take donations that meet the needs of the students they serve. 

We appreciate your understanding and support in helping us serve the students in our community most efficiently. For more information or to donate email kingskloset@kingslocal.net.

Kings Theatre will perform Alice in Wonderland Jr. from January 30-February 1.

When young Alice finds herself in a strange world where everything seems upside down, she must find her way home...and find herself along the way. Join Alice as she travels through Wonderland, where she encounters all of the iconic characters that audiences have come to love: including the ever-tardy White Rabbit, the grinning Cheshire Cat, a cool Caterpillar, the wacky Mad Hatter, and the hot-tempered Queen of Hearts. 

There are four performances to catch our talented thespians. January 30, 31, and February 1 at 7:00 p.m. and a 2:00 p.m. matinee on February 1.

Get your tickets at kingstheatre.net/tickets.

Want to Learn More? Plan to attend one of the information sessions below or Contact Matt Freeman at mfreeman@kingslocal.net.

The Kings Board of Education and Administration strives to be transparent and provide relevant financial information to the community. A special portion of the webpage is dedicated to revenue generation, cost savings initiatives, and money received from grants.

Did you know that the District has already saved over $7 million dollars without taking away from students or the classroom? Visit the Kings Fiscal Responsibility Webpage to learn more.

Please contact Treasurer, Mike Morrow, at mmorrow@kingslocal.net with any questions or suggestions for additional content. 

Board Members

Kings Board of Education (L-R): Janelle Groff, Board Member; John Skerl, Board Member; Deb Cowan, Board Member; Stacie Belfrom, President; and Peggy Phillips, Vice-President.

The Kings Board of Education meets twice a month. They hold a Work Session on the second Tuesday of the month and a Regular Meeting on the third Tuesday of the month.

All meetings are held at 6:00 p.m. and are livestreamed on the Kings Youtube channel.

Visit the Board of Education page on our website for meeting dates, meeting recordings, and agendas.

If you aren't following us on our social media channels, you are missing out! Don't miss one bit of news!

Make sure to follow us on social media!

Keep in the loop on Facebook, X (Twitter), and Instagram

In an effort to be "green," the District does not send paper flyers home. We use a platform called Peachjar that houses flyers of community programs and resources. 

Parents receive approved flyers via email, and they are posted on our digital flyerboard for easy retrieval. Any organization can distribute information to our community by creating an account!

We are looking to bolster our Kings Alumni database. Are you a Kings High School graduate or know someone who is? Please share the form with your fellow graduates. This will help our reunion committees and keep you updated on what is happening at your alma mater!

Please complete this Alumni Roundup Form.

It's time! KNIGHT TO REMEMBER (KABC's annual gala) tickets are now on sale. This year's theme is Western Knights.

This year's event will take place on Saturday, March 8, 2025, at the Manor House in Mason, marking the 21st anniversary of this lively night of entertainment, auctions, dinner, and dancing.

Kings Athletic Booster Club (KABC) is an organization that helps support more than 90 men’s and women’s junior and senior high school athletic teams in the Kings Local School District. KABC’s main purpose is to provide financial assistance for more than 1,200 student-athletes and help with the operational expenses for our many athletic programs.

Early bird pricing ends Jan 31st, but we sold out in just days last year. Get your tickets today!

If you own your own business and are looking for a way to advertise, join us as a sponsor or donor. Details for sponsor packages are available in the Hometown Ticketing link below.

If you have any questions please email kabcevent@gmail.com and our event team will get back to you as soon as possible.If you have your table of 10 lined up, but are waiting on meal choices, you can go ahead and purchase. Just please email the table purchaser name along with meal choices and names for all 10 guests to kabcevent@gmail.com before Feb 1.

Buy your tickets today!