Lebanon schools adopt new elementary English curriculum, keep paper testing for 3rd grade and revise 2025-26 calendar

The Lebanon City Schools Board of Education on Feb. 18 approved a new elementary English language arts curriculum, continued use of paper testing for third-grade Ohio State tests and a revised 2025-26 school calendar that adds four days after Memorial Day.

School officials said the curriculum adoption is paid largely with state funds and follows a multi-stage pilot and review by teachers. The board also voted to keep paper-and-pencil testing for third grade, a practice district staff credited with helping improve reading scores.

District staff described a multi-step selection process that included vendor demonstrations and teacher pilots. “Our staff and our administration worked really hard to make sure that what was approved would be appropriate for the grade level, meet the state standards, and appropriate for the community expectations,” the staff member who presented the item said. The presenter also told the board that “the state of Ohio gave us $230,000 or something like that to adopt these curriculum materials,” and that most or all of the materials are covered by state dollars rather than local funds.

On testing, board members were told the district has authorized continued use of paper testing in third grade because staff believe it tests students’ reading ability rather than computer skills. The board approved paper testing as part of the consent items.

The board also approved a revision to the previously adopted 2025-26 calendar after the district discovered a counting error in the original document. The presenter said the calendar was four days short of the state-required number of student attendance days due to typographical errors and counting breaks as attendance days. He said the fix was to add the four missed days immediately after Memorial Day so the school year would still end before June. “I will take responsibility because I'm the person that makes the spreadsheets and the charts and the calendars, but I will also say that nobody caught it either,” the staff member said during the meeting.

The board approved the consent items, including curriculum adoption, testing option and calendar revision, by roll-call vote with all members present voting in favor.

The presenter told the board the elementary foundational reading program Fundations was selected for phonics instruction and that grade-level instructional materials and units were chosen after teacher pilots. Board members asked for and were offered follow-up briefings if they wanted more detail on specific materials.

The district also approved related consent items at the same time, including three overnight student trips and membership in the Ohio High School Athletic Association for 2025-26.

Board members said they would continue to monitor calendar timing and staff feedback about start dates and breaks.