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By Jim Uphoff, Ed. D.
For years the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) selects similar school districts for Oakwood (and all other districts as well) and publishes data comparisons for those clusters. In 2007, the list for Oakwood has 13 other systems plus, of course, Oakwood. This column shares with you how we compare in a variety of demographic categories.
The largest enrollment district is Upper Arlington in Columbus, Ohio at 5,462 and the smallest of the group is Ottawa Hills at 956. We are among the smallest (2025) of the group of 14 with only three smaller than us. All 14 have very low poverty percentage of enrollment with ONLY Loveland reaching a full 1 percent. Oakwood is at 0.1 percent (one-tenth of one percent).
The percent of our district population with administrative or professional occupations is 65 percent – the third highest of the 14 which puts us just below Ottawa Hills at 68.5 percent and Wyoming at 65.6 percent. The lowest is Loveland at 46 percent. Median family income has Hudson highest of the group at $62,434 and Madeira lowest at $44,271. Oakwood is right in the middle at $55,033 with six districts higher and seven below us.
The percentage of our adult population with a college degree or more ranges from a high of 74 percent for Wyoming to a low of 48.7 percent for Springboro. Oakwood is tied with Hudson at 70 percent with four districts higher and eight below the tied pair. The percent of property classed as agricultural is low for all 14 school districts, but Springboro leads with 2.6 percent and Oakwood is tied with five other districts for 0.0 percent agricultural property.
Population density for these 14 systems has a wide range. Bexley is tops at 5,365 per sq. mile and Granville is lowest at only 267. Oakwood is right behind Bexley at 4,196 for the number two position. We are near the bottom in the amount of property evaluation classed as non-residential and non-agricultural, i.e. business property valuation. Indian Hill is at $68,067 per pupil business evaluation for the highest and Ottawa Hills has only $6,495 for the least amount. We are just behind them and Bexley with Oakwood at $9,810 per pupil business property valuation.
This means that these three districts are especially dependent on the local home owners for on-going support via local taxes. All three have received such support over the years because the well-educated citizens of these three small cities know that the value of education is crucial for the continued success of their communities. Voting, “YES”, on school tax issues has proven to be a sound financial investment for them. Such votes help to maintain the quality of the schools and the value of the homes in each community.
Thus we have seen how Oakwood compares with the 13 other school districts that the state now uses as our “SIMILAR DISTRICTS” grouping. The fact that we also continue to compare very well with this group in our academic results is also telling, but those data will be shared in a subsequent column or two. Understanding
the nature of our Similar Districts group just shared will give you a context for the next columns.
The new-student registration day for Oakwood Junior High School will be held Wednesday, July 25 from 9 -11:30 a.m. and 1-3 p.m. Please bring a copy of your child’s birth certificate, immunization record, and a copy of your purchase or rental contract to the Oakwood Junior High Office. If you would like a registration packet mailed to you or if you have any questions, please call Dawne Roeckner at (937) 297-5328. For additional information about Oakwood Schools, please visit the website for at www.oakwoodschools.org.
Rachel Wilhoit of Dayton, a freshman at Centre College, was chosen by the College to be an orientation assistant. Orientation events are designed to introduce first-year students to Centre’s campus, and OA’s are there to help with the transition.
Orientation at Centre is a wonderful opportunity for students to get to know each other and to begin to think about what it means to be a Centre student. It’s also an opportunity for parents of first-year students to have many of their questions answered and to meet other parents.
“Each year, we are able to help our incoming first-year students make the transition to college with the efforts of our OA’s,” said Randy Hays, dean of students. “From specific tasks during the four days of orientation before classes begin, to more general ‘help from someone who’s been there,’ the OA’s are invaluable to our efforts with these new students. Their energy and enthusiasm is contagious and does much to make those first few weeks as easy as possible.”
Wilhoit is the daughter of Steve and Karen Wilhoit of Oakwood, and is a graduate of Oakwood High School.
Lilia Moyer - Wright State University’s College of Liberal Arts held their awards ceremony on June 8. Lilia Moyer was recognized with the “Outstanding Graduate Student” award in the English TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) graduate program. She was recently interviewed by “Voice of America,” sharing her experiences at WSU, of living in the United States and her native Brazil. Lilia is currently an Adjunct Instructor and currently teaching in the LEAP programs at Wright State University. Lilia and her husband Jeff are residents of Oakwood.
Allyson Moyer - OHS 2001 graduate Allyson Moyer received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Women’s Studies from the University of Cincinnati on June 9. She graduated with Latin Honors – Cum Laude.Along with her bachelors degree, she also received a Certificate in Early Child Abuse Recognition. She is currently employed as the General Manager with Jimmy John’s Sandwich Shop on Brown Street. Allyson is the daughter of Oakwood residents Patti Leis and Jeff Moyer.
Lauren Moyer - OHS 2004 graduate Lauren Moyer completed her third year at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, Michigan. She is working towards a Bachelor Degree in Fine Arts, major in Illustrations with a minor in Entertainment and Traditional Illustrations. She was recognized with six consecutive semesters on the Dean’s List and has been awarded the Datatel Scholarship Award for her senior year. She is also the Secretary for the Student Government. She is currently interning as the lead graphic designer for OxiBrand in Detroit. Lauren is the daughter of Patty Leis and Jeff Moyer.
Kyle G. Adams, son of Judith Guenther-Adams of Ivanhoe Avenue in Oakwood, has been named to the Merit List at Kenyon College for the second semester of the 2006-07 academic year. A gradute of Oakwood High School, Adams is a rising senior majoring in anthropology and mathematics at Kenyon, a private liberal arts college in central Ohio.
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