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Superintendent warns state will delay assessment questions while district doubles down on PBIS and proposes calendar change
Summary
Superintendent Hallowell told the Fairfield Union Local board the state delayed release of the next '1 needs assessment' questions until January though the April plan deadline still stands, said the district will keep PBIS as its primary goal and proposed shifting the 2025–26 start to give staff more professional development time.
Superintendent Mr. Hallowell told the Fairfield Union Local School District board the Ohio Department of Education delayed issuance of the updated "1 needs assessment" questions until January while the statutory April deadline for submitting the district plan remains unchanged. "They're not gonna finalize the list of questions until January," he said, and warned boards must anticipate the shorter turnaround.
Hallowell said the district intends to continue its recent emphasis on PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) in the next three‑year plan, including structured reward days and tiered interventions across all four buildings. "We really want to continue to focus on that," he said, adding the district is working with Muskingum Valley ESC on PBIS implementation and expects state recognition if work continues.
He also said district staff have been told that plans without a literacy goal are likely to be rejected and advised the board to include a literacy objective in the submission. "You have to have a literacy goal," he said, "You can have more than one goal if you want, but you have to have a literacy goal." Hallowell said that guidance has come from regional DEW staff at meetings, though formal written guidance has not been issued yet.
On facility planning, Hallowell said the district asked MCS to supply a quote for a traffic study around Bremen Elementary and Pleasantville Elementary as part of ongoing master‑facility work; the district will evaluate the quote and return to the board with recommendations. "They're working up a quote to come in and do a traffic study agreement," he said, and the administration will report back.
Hallowell also presented a draft 2025–26 school calendar that would start students on a Friday with the preceding Thursday used as a staff professional development day, shifting one September PD day onto that Thursday. He asked board members to review the draft; the calendar is scheduled for formal consideration at the Jan. 6 organizational meeting.
The superintendent said the district will try to be proactive about forthcoming curriculum changes tied to equivalency requirements and to schedule extra teacher preparation time before students return so instruction need not be interrupted mid‑year.
Next steps: the administration will update the board after it receives the traffic‑study quote and when the state issues final assessment questions in January.
