Greenon Local Schools is excited to launch our first-ever district e-newsletter! The Knightly News has officially gone digital for this quarter—bringing you the latest updates, celebrations, and stories from across Greenon Local Schools straight to your inbox. Stay connected and informed as we continue to celebrate our #GreenonKnights community!

Good People And Great Minds Grow Here

Greenon FFA students at the Farm Science Review

Highlighting key initiatives, progress, and celebrations across Greenon Local Schools.

Darrin Knapke, Superintendent

Greenon Local Schools is proud to share that the district earned a 3.5-star rating on the 2024–25 Ohio State Report Card, maintaining our strong performance from last year and placing us among the top districts in Clark County.

While numbers never tell the whole story, they are one of the ways we measure how well we are serving our students—and this year’s report reflects both progress and opportunity. We saw growth in several key areas, including gap closing, which increased to 4 stars and 45.8%, up from 3 stars and 32.6% last year. Early literacy improved to 76.8% from 75.9%, and college, career, workforce and military readiness rose to 65% from 60.7%. We also maintained a 3-star rating in both achievement and early literacy. We earned 3 stars in the new College and Career Readiness category, which now factors into the district’s overall rating for the first time.

At the same time, we recognize there are always areas where we can grow. Our teams are already analyzing this data and identifying strategies to further strengthen academic growth at every grade level.

What makes us most proud, however, can’t be measured by stars or percentages. Every day, we see the commitment of our staff and students, as well as the support of our families—all working together to make Greenon a place where good people and great minds thrive. We remain committed to using this data as a tool for reflection and improvement as we continue working toward success.

Highlighting achievements that make Greenon shine.

Greenon graduate and current Assistant Cross Country coach, Max Pettit (Class of 2018), recently finished second overall in the annual U.S. Air Force Marathon hosted at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base!

Running in his first-ever marathon, Coach Pettit crossed the finish line with a time of 2:33:52, earning second place in the men’s full marathon.

A proud Greenon alum, Max continued his athletic and academic career at Wright State University, where he competed in Cross Country and graduated in 2023.

We’re proud to celebrate Coach Pettit. His running continues to inspire both the current athletes he coaches and our community.

It’s been an exciting season for the Greenon Volleyball program, with several standout players reaching major career milestones.

Setter Lorelei Wilhelm (#1) hit 500 career assists, while Aidynn Lee (#11) surpassed 1,000 career assists—a testament to their skill and leadership on the court. Lexi Stevens (#12) notched 500 career kills, showcasing her power and consistency at the net. On defense, Abigail Rathbun (#34) recorded 500 career digs, anchoring the Knights with her hustle and strong back-row play.

These accomplishments highlight not only individual talent but also the teamwork and dedication that define Greenon Volleyball.  

Two Knights standouts have each been recognized this season as Dayton Daily News Athletes of the Week, highlighting their leadership and impact on our football team. 

Senior Kai Ricks earned the honor in the opening week after a dominant performance on the ground. Ricks rushed for 185 yards and four touchdowns.

Just a few weeks later, junior quarterback Teagan Henry was selected after a breakout game of his own. Henry went 9-for-12 for a career-high 283 passing yards and four touchdowns, while also adding a 4-yard rushing touchdown.

Both athletes have become key playmakers and leaders as the Knights continue to build momentum this fall.

Real-world learning. Everyday moments.

Greenon Elementary 2nd graders are reading the book Anna’s New Coat as part of Bookworms, the district’s new English Language Arts curriculum introduced this school year. Students read about shearing sheep in the story.

Miss Hall’s class made real-world connections through a shearing video and a bucket of wool, both provided by local Clem Farms! Meaningful learning occurs when students can connect information to the real world. We love it when the community is part of our learning! 

Mrs. Baker’s 7th grade science students transformed the 7–12 courtyard into a living ecosystem as part of their study on energy flow and food webs.

Using strands of yarn to represent connections between organisms, students built interactive food webs to trace how energy moves through an ecosystem—from the Sun to producers and then on to consumers. The hands-on activity allowed students to explore how organisms can play multiple roles depending on their environment, deepening their understanding of complex ecological relationships.

A transparent look at Greenon’s finances and fiscal priorities.

At Greenon Local School District, we are committed to transparency and responsible stewardship of our community’s investment in our schools. The Permanent Improvement (PI) Fund allows the district to maintain and enhance our facilities, technology, and transportation—ensuring that our students and staff have safe, modern, and effective learning environments.

Over the past several years, these funds have supported several important upgrades across the district, including new technology infrastructure, transportation improvements, and athletic facility enhancements. Looking ahead, one of our most exciting upcoming projects is the K–12 Connector, which will link the new K-12 Building to the Jr. High Gymnasium (IV Gym) to improve accessibility, safety, and convenience for students and staff.

Other recent investments include the new LED campus sign, WiFi upgrades, new school buses, improvements to the athletic complex, and achieving a 1:1 Chromebook ratio for students. Each of these projects reflects our commitment to using PI dollars efficiently and effectively to benefit the Greenon community.

We invite you to learn more about how these funds are being used and to explore updates on ongoing and completed projects by visiting our Capital Improvement Projects webpage. 

Thank you for your continued trust and support as we work to provide the best possible facilities and resources for our students.

Garth Whitaker, Treasurer

Celebrating the ways our community helps bring classroom lessons to life.

Mrs. Casto's Plant and Animal Science students had an exciting day learning right in the cornfield! The hands-on experience began in the classroom with a virtual farm field trip featuring Ohio corn growers. Students explored the USDA’s Web Soil Survey to understand how soil types and properties impact agriculture.

Next, they visited the Greenon Ag Field, where they got hands-on experience in the Soil Pit, examining soil layers up close. Working in groups, they estimated corn yields and collected samples of corn stalks, soil, pests, and weeds to analyze back at school in the following days.

After returning to campus, students enjoyed lunch provided by the Greenon FFA Alumni. They then tested their soil samples for moisture, texture, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and pH, connecting their field experience to real-world agricultural science. This hands-on learning opportunity was made possible with the support of many community partners.

A huge thank-you goes out to Mr. Jereme Best for digging the Soil Pit, Mr. John McCarty for supplying soil test kits, and to Heritage Cooperative’s Dan Griffin and Matt Harbage for their planning support and loaning of equipment. We also appreciate the Greenon FFA Alumni for providing lunch and the Transportation Department for ensuring everyone got to and from the field safely despite the rain showers.

Learning outside the classroom and connecting with local partners brings lessons to life for our students, and we are grateful to our community for making opportunities like this possible.

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