In-Person Learning Resumes November 30

Good Afternoon Bulldog Families, this is Dr. Edwin Holland, Interim Superintendent.  

Thank you for your patience as the District team continues to monitor the increasing rate of COVID spread in the community.  The District will return to in-person learning on Monday, November 30, 2020. 

The spread of the virus continues to be a concern and we will be constantly monitoring the impact on our schools and operation of the District.  Our initial intention was to “pause” in-person learning to break a cycle of rapidly rising number of individuals quarantined that effected the operation of the district.  According to our estimates, we believe most of the quarantined should be released by Monday November 30^th.

Therefore, we will resume our original in-person learning Monday, November 30^th which also includes the remote learning option selected by our families. Due to the fluidity of the situation, school menus will be altered. 

All District certified/classified/COG staff members will report to their designated assignments Monday November 30, 2020 as normal. 

We are hopeful our District Families will follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Ohio Department of Health when planning the upcoming Thanksgiving Holiday.  Bulldog Family decisions made during this holiday season will have a significant impact on the ability of the District to resume and maintain in-person instruction for the remainder of the calendar year.  

If any member of your school family are tested and awaiting results, received positive results, or otherwise ordered to quarantine by the Health Department, please contact Cathy Fedor at cfedor@polandschools.org, (Grades K-2, 9-12) or Holly Lefoer at hlefoer@polandschools.org (Grades 3-8)

We will continue to closely monitor the situation and will continue to report positive cases in students and staff members on the website.  In observance of the Thanksgiving Holiday, school offices will be closed.  For an immediate response, please contact the Mahoning County Health Department at (330)270-2855.

On behalf of the Board of Education, Administration and Staff, we hope that you and your family have a safe and healthy Thanksgiving Holiday. 

Dr. Edwin Holland

Superintendent of Schools

BOE Meeting November 23, 2020 Livestream

BOE Meeting November 23, 2020 Agenda

Teachers and staff spent today (Monday, November 16) preparing for a seamless transition to remote learning, which starts for all students on November 17.

Poland Local School District Goes Fully Remote 

Since our last communication the District team has continued to evaluate delivery of in-person learning. There are currently 204 students and staff members ordered to quarantine by the Mahoning County Health Department. This growing number has and will continue to have a significant impact on the day to day operations of the District and most importantly, the delivery of quality instruction. 

The District Board of Education, Administrative Team, Teaching and Support Staff have the common goal to continue to provide in-person learning to K-12 Students. This message from the community has been heard and understood, however, we must balance the impact of the virus in the community with the operational needs of the District.   

Considering the circumstances as they stand today and the operational needs of the District, students were instructed to take their Chromebooks and belongings home Friday afternoon. 

Due to the increasing impact of the virus on students, staff and the operational needs of the District, The Poland Schools will begin the transition to remote learning at this time.  

There will be no classes for all students on Monday, November 16th.  No later than 4 PM Monday afternoon, teachers will communicate with their students the expectations for the remainder of the week.  

Starting Tuesday, November 17th through Friday November 20th the Poland Local Schools will be fully remote.  As previously stated, school will not be in session on November 23 and 24th.  

At this time, athletics and food service operations will not be interrupted.  As a reminder, food pickup will continue every Monday.  Families are reminded to contact Megan Roemer at mroemer@polandschools.org to order for pickup the following week.     

Again, I want to reiterate our intention and goal is to continue providing in-person instruction and the administrative team will continue working with the health department to assess when we will be able to return to in-person learning. 

We appreciate your patience and understanding, and as a reminder please follow the appropriate protocols to help reduce the spread of COVID. 

All District certified/classified/COG staff members will report to their designated assignments during this time.

Thank you.

Dr. Edwin Holland

Interim Superintendent

Important Message from Dr. Edwin Holland, Interim Superintendent, Poland Local Schools

We want to proactively communicate with our parents and staff that the district is working diligently with local health department officials to monitor the ever changing conditions due to Covid. In light of Governor DeWine's announcement today (November 11) and the increasing number of cases in our schools, we want you to know that we are trying to keep the schools open. While conditions are changing daily, it is our intention to keep the schools open with in-person learning through next week, Friday, November 20 and to begin the Thanksgiving break early on November 23. The staff will begin prepping on November 23 for online learning in case the governor makes a determination to close schools, and/or our Covid cases continue to increase where we cannot operate in person classes.

Please know that we have not made the decision at this time to go 100 percent online, but we will continue to monitor the situation carefully with the safety of our students and staff in mind. 

We will continue to be proactive in communicating with you, and we appreciate your understanding and patience as we work through these challenges. 

Thank you Veterans!

TWELVE OUTSTANDING STUDENT-ATHLETES ARE NAMED NATIONAL FINALISTS IN THE HEISMAN HIGH SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIP PRESENTED BY ACCEPTANCE INSURANCE

The National Award Program Releases the Names of 2020 National Finalists

New York, NY, Nov. 9, 2020 — From an applicant pool of thousands of high school scholar-athletes graduating with the class of 2021, 12 students have been named National Finalists in the Heisman High School Scholarship competition awarded by The Heisman Trophy Trust and Acceptance Insurance. Poland Seminary High School’s Jackie Grisdale is one of the 12 national finalists. 

The Heisman High School Scholarship is presented by Acceptance Insurance. From its inception in 1994, the program has leveraged the reputation of the Heisman Memorial Trophy as a symbol of great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard work.

The Heisman High School Scholarship presented by Acceptance Insurance extends the Heisman prestige to the nation’s most esteemed high school seniors by celebrating and rewarding outstanding male and female scholar-athletes who understand that the most important victories happen not only on the field, but also in their schools and communities. The Heisman Trophy Trust was proud to partner with Acceptance Insurance in 2020 to present these prestigious scholarships.

Over the past 26 years, the program has honored more than 600,000 of the nation’s most esteemed high school seniors and provided hundreds of thousands of dollars in college scholarships to students and more than a million dollars to high school academic and athletic programs across the country.

The program honors the nation’s most accomplished, community-minded high school senior athletes. By inviting male and female students from schools across the country to share their stories of leadership and impact, the program aims to inspire all students to harness their potential, push their limits, and use their talents not only to advance their own futures, but to improve the communities and world around them.

In their first year as presenting sponsor, Acceptance Insurance pledged an additional $25,000 scholarship donation to the program. The 2020 National Finalists will receive a $1,250 college scholarship and compete for the chance to be named the 2020 male and female National Winners.

National Winners will be announced on Tuesday, December 1, 2020 on the Heisman Scholarship Website.   The two National Winners will each receive a $5,250 college scholarship.

To learn more about these finalists, or for a complete listing of all 2020 winners visit the Heisman Scholarship Website.

Meet Dr. Edwin Holland, Interim Superintendent Poland Local Schools  

Dr. Edwin Holland has three decades of experience in suburban and rural education. For 13 years of his career he served as a superintendent in three school districts in Cuyahoga and Summit Counties. Dr. Holland was named Interim Superintendent by the Poland Board of Education in October. 

“My experience as a superintendent with school funding and improving student achievement gives me the experience that I need, and the community will be able to use it to help improve and build upon the level of excellence that Poland Schools has been known for,” said Dr. Holland.” I want to be able to help maintain this transition for the board and community, while we build upon getting a new superintendent.”

Dr. Holland will work with the Board of Education to develop a search plan to hire the next superintendent. Dr. Holland has worked on several searches to fill key executive positions of superintendent and treasurer for school districts, and has also participated as a candidate in  several searches. Dr. Holland also plans on working with staff and the community to find out what’s important in the search for Poland’s next superintendent. Dr. Holland hopes the Board of Education will be able to hire a new superintendent in the spring/summer of 2021. 

When it comes to transparency and accountability, both will be critical factors in the superintendent search.  The district will provide transparent communication to the community about the superintendent search, and how the district is being maintained throughout the transition. 

 “The role of increasing accountability is taking responsibility for what needs to be done with integrity, but also the need for transparency is communication,” said Holland. “Communicating to the community how the distinct operates, how decisions are made and how it’s going to impact and create change within the community.”

 Dr. Holland started his career in education as a social studies teacher  and was a head track coach and football coach. He also served as a high school principal in a Division 1 school. 

“Academic, athletics and the arts are extremely important to me in education,” said Holland.

Welcome to the Poland Local School District, home of the Bulldogs.

The Poland Local School District  (PLSD) is made up of four schools, Union Elementary ( Preschool-Grade 2), McKinley Elementary (3-5), Poland Middle School (6-8) and Poland Seminary High School (9-12.)

The Poland Local Schools started in 1802.  Our vision is to build upon a tradition of excellence and our core values. Doing this, the Poland Local Schools will be a leading center of learning for students.  Poland Local Schools are committed to providing students with a well-rounded education, preparing every student for success and meeting the individual needs of students.

POLAND SCHOOLS MISSION STATEMENT

Educate, empower and inspire every student at every opportunity.

POLAND SCHOOLS VISION

Built upon a tradition of excellence and our core values, the Poland Local Schools will be a leading center of learning for all students.

CORE VALUES

• Place the needs and welfare of students first.
• Respect the inherent value of each student.
• Nurture a desire for lifelong learning.
• Build community engagement.
• Operate with accountability and transparency.
• Uphold the tradition of our schools within the community.
• Educate within a collaborative, creative, and cultivating learning environment.
• Encourage parent and community involvement.
• Build honest and trusting relationships that respect all people.

Tree Removal at Dobbins School

Overgrown tree lines and tree roots posed a structural integrity problem for Dobbins Elementary, causing the Poland Board of Education to make a decision to remove several trees.  The tree line started to grow over the newly installed roof at Dobbins, causing issues that would jeopardize the roof and the warranty on it. Tree leaves and branches, kept falling onto the new roof, and the debris held moisture while it was on the roof. The roof at Dobbins was replaced in the summer after years of leaking, which disrupted the educational environment at the school.

The district consulted with local contractors to see what could be done. Contractors recommended removing the trees or trimming them. However, trimming wouldn't completely prevent debris from falling onto the roof, therefore the decision was made to remove the trees.  The district accepted bids from companies for the tree removal, Burkholder Hardwoods was the lowest bid for tree removal, and was awarded the contract. TEMA roofing services was hired to install the new roof at Dobbins.

Attention:  The COVID-19 Reporting Table has been moved to the "Quick Links" tab to the left.

State Audit Shows Positive Financial Standing For Poland Local School District

Performance Audit Update Presentation

The Ohio Auditor of State reports a 13 million dollar turnaround for the Poland Local School District. A report from the state’s office was presented at the Board of Education meeting on February 24, 2020.

The Poland Local School District (PLSD) was audited by the state due to a projected fund balance deficit provided by the May 2017 five-year-forecast. The audit listed several recommendations the district could implement to reduce expenses. The Poland Board of Education and district administrators looked at the recommendations and made decisions based on what was best for student achievement. Not all recommendations from the state were acted upon. Some of the steps taken include the following:  

• A Bus/Vehicle Replacement Plan

• Technology Replacement Plan

• Reducing expenditures by bringing some services back to PLSD

• Heating and cooling conservation programs

• Reorganization of district personnel 

• Closing Dobbins Elementary School

When it comes to finances, there are several other positive steps to note, as reported in the five-year-forecast adopted in October 2019. The unreserved fund balances through Fiscal Year 2024 is in the black. Second, the annual debt service payment has been reduced by more than $160,000 annually for the next four years due to refinancing of the district’s outstanding debt.