Good People And Great Minds Grow Here

Career Day Speakers at our Annual Career Day. Over 40 guest speakers, representing a wide range of career fields, gave our 7th-12th grade students real-world insight into different professions and career pathways.

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

Darrin Knapke, Superintendent

At Greenon Local Schools, we are always looking for ways to improve the daily experience for our students, staff, and community. I’m pleased to share the completion of an important campus improvement, the connector linking our main campus to the middle school gymnasium.

This connector enhances safe, efficient movement between buildings and provides a seamless pathway for athletics, school events, and everyday activities. Whether it’s students traveling to physical education classes, teams heading to practices or games, or families attending school functions, this connection makes navigating our campus easier and more accessible for everyone.

I also want to share that funding for this project came from funds remaining from the K–12 campus construction. No new funds were required. This allowed us to reinvest responsibly in our facilities while maximizing the value of previous projects for our students and community.

The connector also strengthens our ability to host events and activities that bring our community together. From athletic competitions to school-wide gatherings, this improvement supports the active campus experience that our Greenon Knights community deserves.

Thank you for your continued support of Greenon Local Schools. Projects like this are possible through careful stewardship of resources and a shared commitment to providing a safe, efficient, and welcoming environment for learning, growth, and connection.

Highlighting achievements that make Greenon shine.

Class of 2016 Greenon Alum, Emily Adkins, has been named a recipient of the prestigious LexisNexis sHERO Award, recognizing her resilience, volunteerism, and commitment to serving others.

From overcoming personal challenges to giving back through organizations like Make-A-Wish Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana and other community initiatives, Emily continues to be an example of strength and service. She was selected as one of only 15 honorees across North America and the UK. 

Allison Cody has been selected as one of four educators in the Springfield to receive the Springfield Rotary Excellence in Teaching Award.

This recognition celebrates educators who demonstrate exceptional dedication, talent, and commitment to their students and the teaching profession. Being nominated and chosen as a finalist is a meaningful reminder of the positive impact Allison makes in the classroom and the difference she makes in the lives of her students each day.

She will be honored at the Excellence in Teaching Awards Luncheon on March 23 at Hollenbeck-Bayley Hall.

During her 32 years of service on our transportation team, Karen Amos has played an important role in safely transporting our students and supporting families across the district.

Her dedication, kindness, and commitment to our students and entire community have made a lasting impact.

We are incredibly grateful for the many years she spent caring for our students and ensuring they arrive at school safely each day. Karen will be greatly missed, but we wish her all the best in this next chapter.

Real-world learning. Everyday moments.

Timothy Everhart, a National Park Service archaeologist and museum curator at Hopewell Culture National Historical Park in Chillicothe, Ohio, came to speak with our 2nd-grade students. 

Our 2nd graders just finished a unit from our new Book Worms curriculum on American Indian people. Experiences like this bring our classroom lessons to life, helping our students connect what they read in books to real people, places, and history! 

Mrs. Fenwick’s English class recently connected their study of Romeo & Juliet with a hands-on Escape Room challenge.

Students worked through four activities focused on plot, characters, key quotes, and close reading before decoding a secret message to escape. Experiences like this help bring literature to life while encouraging students to think critically and apply what they’ve learned.

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

How Recent State Legislation Will Impact Property Taxes within Greenon Local Schools

Recent changes to Ohio law will significantly impact how property taxes are calculated and collected for school districts across the state, including Greenon Local School District. Several House Bills signed into law in December 2025, most notably House Bills 129, 186, 309, and 335, represent the most sweeping changes to Ohio property tax law in nearly 50 years. These changes are reflected in the District’s February Five-Year Forecast and will have both short-term and long-term implications for taxpayers and school funding. 

Limiting Property Tax Growth for Homeowners

A central goal of the new legislation is to limit rapid increases in property taxes caused by rising property values. House Bill 186 establishes an “inflation cap credit,” which prevents school district property tax revenue from increasing faster than the Gross Domestic Product Deflation Factor (GDP-DF) following county reappraisals or triennial updates. In practical terms, this means that even if home values increase significantly, the portion of school property taxes generated from those increases will be capped. 

For Greenon residents, this provision will help moderate future tax increases after reappraisals. The caps created by HB 186 further limit the District’s ability to realize additional revenue from growth in valuations. So, even though property values may rise significantly, Greenon can only keep a small portion of that growth. The state provides some reimbursement, but it does not fully replace the lost local revenue and does not increase with the district's actual costs.

Retroactive Tax Adjustments and “Clawbacks”

One of the most impactful and concerning elements of HB 186 is its retroactive application. The law requires the Ohio Department of Taxation to recalculate property taxes for reappraisals and triennial updates that occurred in tax years 2023, 2024, and 2025. If those recalculations show that taxes exceeded the new inflation cap, school districts' current tax settlements will be reduced to issue credits back to taxpayers, even though the revenue has already been collected and used for operations. 

For Greenon Local Schools, the Five-Year Forecast anticipates that these retroactive adjustments will reduce property tax collections beginning in fiscal year 2027, with an initial reduction of $1.2 million and an estimated annual reduction of approximately $842,000 in subsequent years. These reductions are built directly into the 5-year forecasted revenue figures. Final amounts will not be known until the Ohio Department of Taxation releases official calculations, which are expected after the February forecast filing deadline.  House Bill 186 helps taxpayers in the short term, but for Greenon, it reduces long-term funding growth and increases the likelihood that the district will need to return to voters sooner to maintain current programs.

Changes to Emergency and Fixed-Sum Levies

House Bill 129 makes another significant change by restoring “fixed-sum/emergency” levies and including them in the 20-mill floor calculation beginning with the next reappraisal cycle. For Greenon, this change is expected to take effect with the TY2028 reappraisal, collected in calendar year 2029. 

Currently, Greenon has voter-approved emergency levies that are not included in the 20-mill floor. Once HB 129 takes effect, those levies will be factored into the floor calculation, which is projected to reduce annual property tax revenue by approximately $2.2 million beginning in 2029. While this will result in lower property taxes for residents, it also represents a substantial long-term revenue loss for the District. 

Local Oversight and Uncertainty

House Bill 309 adds another layer of uncertainty by granting County Budget Commissions the authority to reduce voter-approved levies, other than debt levies, if they determine collections are “unnecessary and excessive.” While the direct impact of this provision cannot be predicted at this time, it introduces the possibility of current levy reductions outside of the local school board’s control. 

What This Means Going Forward

Together, these legislative changes are expected to slow the growth of property taxes for Ohio and Greenon residents and, in some cases, reduce future tax bills. At the same time, they significantly constrain the District’s largest source of local revenue. Property taxes account for nearly 50% of Greenon Local Schools’ operating resources, and limitations on that revenue increase the importance of careful financial planning and long-range forecasting. 

The Board of Education and District administration will continue to monitor guidance from the Ohio Department of Taxation and adjust the Five-Year Forecast as more definitive information becomes available. The Board and Administration regularly review financial forecasts and compare projected revenues to actual results to ensure resources remain aligned with educational priorities, operational needs, and long-term financial stability. As always, the goal remains to balance responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars with the need to maintain high-quality educational programs for Greenon students.

Garth Whitaker, Treasurer

Greenon Local Schools is proud to welcome two new members to the Greenon Board of Education: Joe Mamer and Ashley Gregory. Both are proud Greenon graduates with deep roots in our community and a shared commitment to serving students and families.

Mr. Mamer brings extensive experience in contract management and fiscal stewardship through his work with the Department of the Air Force, along with years of coaching and community involvement. Mrs. Gregory serves as Head of Global Customer Fulfillment at LexisNexis and offers strong leadership experience in operations, strategic planning, and responsible resource management.

As parents and alumni, both are passionate about giving back to the district that shaped them. They are focused on supporting student growth and achievement, maintaining strong communication with families, making responsible financial decisions, and preparing students for success after graduation.

Greenon Local Schools is grateful to have recently received several grants that will support student learning, safety, and classroom resources across the district. These grants, awarded through state and local organizations, provide additional funding beyond federal grants and help expand opportunities for our students and staff.

Through the 5th Quarter Agriculture Grant, the district received $2,510.46 to support extended days for our agriculture teacher, allowing additional time to work with students involved in agricultural education and hands-on learning experiences. The district was also awarded $32,647.00 through the School Bus Safety Grant to install external cameras on school buses, helping improve student safety and accountability during transportation routes.

Greenon also received $6,846.88 from the Ohio Attorney General’s School Safety Grant to implement CRG (Collaborative Response Graphics) Maps, which provide first responders with detailed building maps and critical safety information to enhance emergency response coordination.

These grants highlight our district’s ongoing commitment to actively seeking out funding and securing additional funding opportunities that help expand resources, strengthen safety, and support student success.

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