Education

Board has until Feb. 4 to pick new member
Education, Local News, Marysville School Board, ...
Board has until Feb. 4 to pick new member
By Chad Williamson 
January 6, 2026
The Marysville Board of Education must select a new member and the clock is ticking. On Monday night’s organizational meeting, the board held the oaths of office for two new members, picked a new pres...
Keck resigns from school board
Education, Local News, Marysville School Board, ...
Keck resigns from school board
By From JT Staff Reports 
January 5, 2026
Marysville Board of Education President Bill Keck has announced he is stepping down. Marysville’s Board of Education has an item on tonight’s organizational meeting agenda to accept Keck’s resignation...
The newest Fairbanks panter
Education, News
Five-month old Scout relaxes in Mrs. Rachel Jones' classroom during a school day at Fairbanks Middle School. (Journal-Tribune photo by Aleksei Pavloff)
The newest Fairbanks panter
Foster dog at FMS ties into ELA lessons
By Jack Christian 
December 20, 2025
Fairbanks Schools are taking learning to new heights, as a sixth-grade classroom recently had the unique opportunity to host a foster dog with the goal of helping the puppy find a forever home. Scout,...
Five for Brutus
Education, Local News, News
Five for Brutus
By Aleksei Pavloff 
December 19, 2025
Students reach out for Ohio State mascot Brutus during an event at Navin Elementary School Thursday afternoon. Brutus served as a special guest for a friendly dodgeball competition between students an...
Holiday variety
Education, Local News, News
Holiday variety
By Aleksei Pavloff 
December 18, 2025
Students at Navin Elementary School filled the gymnasium Wednesday for an assembly showcasing Holidays Around the World. The students shown above are performing an Indian dance, likely inspired by Bol...
Lights, camera, action
Education, Local News, News
Students run through their script, working to refine the show ahead of Thursday’s recording day. (Journal-Tribune photo by Jack Christian)
Lights, camera, action
Students learn the ropes in front of the camera, and behind it, to create Monarch Message
By Jack Christian 
December 17, 2025
Marysville High School students are getting a hands-on introduction to journalism and media production through a course dedicated to producing the school’s weekly morning news broadcast, The Monarch M...
Sheriff, NU board discuss SRO costs
Education, News
Sheriff, NU board discuss SRO costs
By Kyle Meddles 
December 16, 2025
The key word of Monday’s board of education meeting was transparency as the sheriff met with North Union officials to clear the air regarding cost concerns with the student resource officer (SRO) posi...
Roundabout a factor in JA planning
Education, News, Plain City News
Jonathan Alder officials are working on facility planning ahead of the Ohio Department of Transportation’s planned roundabout project at U.S. 42 and Price-Hilliards Road near Canaan Middle School. ODOT has three possible roundabout configurations for the Madison County intersection, including the one shown above, which adjusts the alignment of the roadways for cars to enter at an angle. (Graphic submitted)
Roundabout a factor in JA planning
By Michael Williamson 
December 13, 2025
More than a month after Election Day, Jonathan Alder is ready to hit the ground running on its planned construction project. The board of education had its first regular meeting this week since vote t...
Marysville schools consider trademarks for logos
Education, Local News, Marysville School Board, ...
Marysville schools consider trademarks for logos
By Chad Williamson 
December 12, 2025
The approval of name, image, likeness (NIL) use for high school athletes in Ohio brings with it various guardrails, including prohibiting school names, logos, mascots and trademarks from being used in...
Fairbanks continues to consider access road
Education, News
Fairbanks continues to consider access road
By Jack Christian 
December 3, 2025
As the new year approaches, Fairbanks is looking ahead to a slate of potential district renovations that Superintendent Janel Chapman says are necessary upgrades. During a recent board work session, F...
Dyslexia can’t keep ECHS student from goals, NASA internship
Education, Local News, News
Ciara Crilow during her internship with NASA. Crilow was selected for a prestigious NASA internship, with only 5% of applicants receiving the offer. (Photo submitted)
Dyslexia can’t keep ECHS student from goals, NASA internship
By Jack Christian 
November 25, 2025
It’s not every day you see a high school student set to receive her associate’s degree upon graduating, let alone be selected for prestigious internships with NASA and an engineering firm. Ciara Crilo...
Marysville board discusses conflicting ideas
Education, Local News, Marysville School Board, ...
Marysville board discusses conflicting ideas
By Chad Williamson 
November 22, 2025
It’s hard to imagine the agenda for Thursday’s Marysville school board meeting was compiled in a vacuum. Some of the most compelling actions at the meeting came back-to-back, creating a sort of one-tw...
NU officials tour new Tri-Rivers facilities
Education, News
Students enrolled in the construction program at Tri-Rivers are building houses for low-to-mid income families in Marion through a partnership with the city and the Marion Land Bank. Pictured above at left from front to back, North Union board members Brian Davis, Shelly Ehret and Bradley DeCamp take a step inside of one of the houses as Tri-Rivers assistant superintendent Aaron Stewart, at right, discusses the construction program during a tour of the school’s facilities on Monday. (Journal-Tribune photo by Kyle Meddles)
NU officials tour new Tri-Rivers facilities
By Kyle Meddles 
November 18, 2025
North Union’s Board of Education toured the expanded facilities at Tri-Rivers Career Center after it received an $8.5 million Career Technical Education (CTE) grant from the state in 2023 to make enha...
Fairbanks staff practices emergency protocols
Education, News
Fairbanks staff practices emergency protocols
By Jack Christian 
November 18, 2025
Fairbanks Local School District used its most recent professional development day to place a strong emphasis on emergency preparedness, dedicating the day to reinforcing campus safety guidelines and e...
Recount coming after JA bond flip flop
Education, News, Plain City News
Provisional, absentee count pushes issue to approval by three votes
Recount coming after JA bond flip flop
By Michael Williamson 
November 17, 2025
Editor's note: This story has been updated from a previous version. After provisional and absentee votes appeared to flip Jonathan Alder’s bond issue to a victory by just three votes, district officia...
LifeWise expands to serve Fairbanks middle schoolers
Education, Local News, News
LifeWise expands to serve Fairbanks middle schoolers
By From JT Staff Reports 
November 14, 2025
LifeWise Academy in Milford Center is expanding its program to include Fairbanks students in grades seven and eight. LifeWise is already available to Fairbanks first through sixth graders. According t...
JA mulls legal action against Smarra
Education, Local News, News, ...
Union County Treasurer Andy Smarra, pictured above at right, explains to the Jonathan Alder Board of Education Tuesday why he sent a tax letter out to residents late last month. Alder officials criticized Smarra’s actions, suggesting he impacted the outcome of the district’s recent bond issue. (Journal-Tribune photo by Michael Williamson)
JA mulls legal action against Smarra
Board feels letter from county treasurer damaged levy attempt
By Michael Williamson 
November 12, 2025
Jonathan Alder is considering possible legal action against the Union County Treasurer. Following a tense back and forth between the officials Tuesday night, the board of education approved a measure ...
MHS student newspaper a vehicle to learn storytelling
Education, Local News, News
Marysville High School students work on the school newspaper, Vibe, during class time. The class is a co-curricular course student can take. (Photo submitted)
MHS student newspaper a vehicle to learn storytelling
By Jack Christian 
November 10, 2025
Marysville High School is expanding opportunities for students interested in media through its student-run newspaper, the Monarch Vibe , offering a space to explore journalism, writing and storytellin...
Care from school
Education, Local News, News
Care from school
By Kyle Meddles 
November 6, 2025
Editor's note: This is part of a collection of stories and photos that ran in the Journal-Tribune's 2025 Veterans Day edition on Nov. 6. First and fourth graders at Fairbanks EMS prepared care package...
12-year school board member smith loses seat
Education, Local News, Marysville School Board, ...
12-year school board member smith loses seat
Incumbent, two newcomers win spots guiding Marysville
By Chad Williamson 
November 5, 2025
With three Marysville School Board seats up for grabs Tuesday and four individuals seeking them, only one candidate would be disappointed after the ballots were counted. That candidate, as it turns ou...
JA issue faces second slim defeat
Education, News, Plain City, ...
JA issue faces second slim defeat
After 16-vote loss in May, bond issue comes up 12 votes short
By Michael Williamson 
November 5, 2025
Early tallies for the Jonathan Alder bond issue show that it failed by another narrow margin, according to the unofficial election results. Vote totals show the measure being defeated by just 12 votes...
BMS shutdown shuffle
Education, Local News, News
Congressman Jim Jordan talks to some of the Bunsold students outside the U.S. Capitol last week. (Photo submitted)
BMS shutdown shuffle
Middle school D.C. trip adjusts around some closed attractions
By Jack Christian 
October 30, 2025
Bunsold Middle School eighth graders had the opportunity to take part in the school’s annual Washington, D.C. trip last week — though this year’s journey came with an unexpected challenge: the federal...
Facility measure back before JA voters
Education, News, Plain City News
Facility measure back before JA voters
By Michael Williamson 
October 27, 2025
Editor's note: This edition contains the final installments of the Journal-Tribune's pre-election series detailing issues and candidates that will appear on the Nov. 4 ballot. Jonathan Alder is return...
NU board miffed by call to increase SRO price tag
Education, News
NU board miffed by call to increase SRO price tag
By Kyle Meddles 
October 22, 2025
Members of the North Union Board of Education aired frustrations after reading the sheriff’s comments to the county commissioners about raising the district’s student resource officer (SRO) costs. At ...
Four seeking seats on Marysville School Board
Education, Local News, Marysville School Board, ...
Four seeking seats on Marysville School Board
By Chad Williamson 
October 21, 2025
Editor's note: This is the second installment in a series of stories detailing a series of stories detailing issues and candidates appearing before Union County voters on Nov. 4 Two incumbents and two...
Hanging around for a cause
Education, Local News, News
Hanging around for a cause
By From JT Staff Reports 
October 21, 2025
Navin Elementary School's recent Color Run fundraiser was a huge success, raising $17,000 to help PTO support students, families and staff in the coming months. Students who raised $35 or more were ab...
JA library features hands-on stations
Education, News, Plain City News
JA library features hands-on stations
By Michael Williamson 
October 20, 2025
Plain City Elementary students demonstrate new innovation stations in the school’s library recently evening during the October Jonathan Alder Board of Education meeting. Elevated Innovation Stations b...
Marysville refines MMA operations
Education, Local News, Marysville School Board, ...
Marysville refines MMA operations
By Chad Williamson 
October 18, 2025
Opening the Mini Monarch Academy (MMA) for a segment of preschool students has gone relatively smoothly for the Marysville School District, though certain issues continue to be ironed out. At Thursday...
Triad concerned with growth of students rather than stars
Education, News
Triad concerned with growth of students rather than stars
By Kyle Meddles 
October 17, 2025
Triad’s Board of Education met with administrative staff to discuss state report card data with a focus more on a student’s overall growth than the district’s state rating. During a work session befor...
JA focused on change to absenteeism standards
Education, News
JA focused on change to absenteeism standards
By Michael Williamson 
October 17, 2025
Jonathan Alder gained an additional half star on its state report card this year but one area it’s looking to improve is chronic absenteeism. One reason to focus on the metric is because the percentag...