Moments that Made Us Proud: Celebrating the 2025-2026 School Year

Every moment is an opportunity to get better and make a difference, which is why FHSD believes that Every Moment Matters. Every interaction, every conversation, every day we show up, is an opportunity to get one step closer to huge successes. These moments - both big and small - led to some major achievements during the 2025-2026 school year! 

This article is not meant to be a comprehensive list, but rather a glimpse at some of the highlights we celebrated over the school year. 

Academic Excellence

High Marks from the State | The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce awarded FHSD an overall rating of 4.5 stars on the 2024-2025 Ohio School Report Cards, recognizing FHSD as a district that “exceeds state standards.” Read more about the report. 

National Merit Scholars | Nineteen students from Anderson and Turpin High Schools were recognized for achieving either commended or semifinal status in the National Merit Scholarship Program in the fall. Four students were selected as finalists: Matias Moscoso Boedo (THS), Charlie Cox (AHS), Hifza Fatima (AHS) and Luke Patterson (AHS). 

Spelling Wizards | Three FHSD elementary students represented their schools at the regional level in the 2026 WCPO 9 Scripps Regional Spelling Bee in March. Congratulations to Archer S. (Ayer), Zain V. (Maddux) and Audrey U. (Sherwood) for participating! Archer tied for 5th place and Zain tied for 3rd place.

AP Honor Roll | Both Anderson and Turpin High Schools were once again named Gold schools on the 2025 AP School Honor Roll! 

Best of the Best | Both FHSD high schools were placed in the top 5% of high schools in Ohio by U.S. News & World Report. Anderson ranked within the top 5% and Turpin placed in the top 2%. Additionally, all FHSD elementary schools and Nagel Middle School were ranked in the top 10% of K-8 schools in Ohio. 

Outstanding STEM Experiences | The Anderson High School science department was once again a recipient of the prestigious Governor’s Thomas Edison Awards for Excellence in STEM Education and Student Research. 

Magnificent Mustangs | Maddux Elementary School was proud to share that they were named a 2026 National Gold Star School (NGSS) by the National Association of Elementary Principals (NAESP), a prestigious national recognition. 

AHS, Home of a Coke Scholar | Anderson senior Sosena Tefera was named a 2026 Coke Scholar! She was selected as one of 150 students out of more than 107,000 applicants nationwide, recognized for her commitment to leadership, service and academic achievement. 

Reading Champions | Ayer, Mercer and Summit elementary schools were honored with the Governor’s Science of Reading Champion Award, which recognizes schools that are demonstrating strong implementation of evidence-based instructional practices aligned to the science of reading and where students are making significant progress. 

Arts and Creativity

Flourishing Film Programs | The theatre programs at Anderson and Turpin High Schools earned an Ohio Valley Emmy for their Fall Main Stage Production titled “Behind Closed Doors”. They subsequently earned a nomination for a National Emmy! 

Ceramic Artwork in the Community | Art pieces created by two Turpin students were displayed at Mount Saint Joseph University’s San Giuseppe Art Gallery in the fall. The pieces were included in the exhibition called “Selection,” which showcased select works from talented junior and senior art students in the tristate area. 

Best Band in the Land | FHSD’s phenomenal Marching Band completed a tremendous 2025-2026 season, capping off an undefeated regular regular season with a stellar performance at the OMEA State Marching Band Finals in Columbus. 

Queen City Theatre Awards | Turpin High School Theatre earned nine nominations for Queen City Theatre Awards for its production of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.” including a nomination for Best Musical. 

Best Community for Music Ed | FHSD is once again a recipient of the Best Communities for Music Education (BCME) from The NAMM Foundation. 

Parking Lot Spruce-Up | For the very first time, seniors at Anderson and Turpin had the opportunity to paint their parking spots. This was organized by both schools’ PTOs to help make senior year a little more colorful. 

Athletic Achievement

State Champions | Turpin High School had multiple students reach the top of the podium at the state Track & Field meet! Claire Iaciofano earned her third Pole Vault state championship in a row. The Boys 4x400 Meter Relay earned a state title while simultaneously breaking the state meet’s record for the fastest time in its history (3:14.88). The relay included Parker Jones, Carson Hughes, Chase Spencer and Evan Overholser. 

State Runners-Up: Anderson High School football finished another incredible season as state runners-up. This season included their second state championship appearance in a row and their third regional title in a row. 

Celebrating Student-Athletes | FHSD student-athletes collected numerous accolades and recognitions that we can’t fit into one article! Read more about their accomplishments in the Fall sports recap, Winter sports recap and the Spring sports recap. 

Service and Leadership

Purple Star Schools | All nine schools in FHSD were named Purple Star Schools as part of the Class of 2026 from the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. This award recognizes schools for their commitment to students and families connected to our nation’s military. 

Going All In | The Forest Hills Council successfully led another year of the All In Food Drive, which resulted in more than 2,782 Power Packs and more than 10,000 pounds of food and personal care products for IPM Food Pantry in the fall. 

Teen of Impact | Maggie Hartong, a junior at Anderson High School, was named a “Teen of Impact” nominee by the American Heart Association for her work raising awareness of heart health and education. 

Wellness

PBIS Excellence | All FHSD schools were honored for their PBIS implementation by the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce and the Ohio PBIS Network. 

New Friendly (and Furry) Faces | To support student wellness, a new facility dog program was piloted at Anderson, Turpin and Nagel. Facility dogs Marko, Raiden and Mays support student well-being through daily positive interactions.

Student Opportunities and Initiatives 

Future Educators Excel | Students in Anderson’s and Turpin’s Educators Rising programs impressed judges at the 2026 Educators Rising Ohio State Conference. 

Another Year of Aspire | Select sophomores at Anderson and Turpin participated in this year-long leadership program that helps expand self-awareness, employability skills and leadership potential. Aspire students attend monthly meeting during the school day at various "community classrooms." This year's program visited various local businesses and organizations, including Johnson Hills Park, the Anderson Township Senior Center, NewPath Child & Family Solutions and more. 

New Network Opportunities | The XCL Program launched the Breakfast with Business series this school year to provide high school students with regular opportunities to meet local business professionals, practice networking, build connections and learn more about futures in different career fields.  

Boosting Student Voices | Six Turpin students were named members of the Ohio Attorney General’s Teen Ambassador Board. While on the Board, they had the opportunity to explore topics in government and share their voices on a statewide level. 

HOSA State Champion | Anderson High School Live Oaks student Ava Wellage earned first place at the HOSA State Leadership Conference for Veterinary Science. 

Revitalizing The Lancer | A group of Turpin students earned a grant from the Forest Hills Foundation for Education in the spring and have worked to revamp and relaunch the school’s student newspaper, The Lancer. 

First Place in Business Professionals of America | Lillian Crate, a Digital Arts and Design senior at Like Oaks from Anderson High School, earned first place in Advanced Desktop Publishing at Nationals. 

Staff Excellence

Gold Star Teacher | Mercer Elementary Intervention Specialist Katie Sedacca was selected as a Top 10 Finalist for the 2026 Gold Star Teacher! 

Honoring FHSD Staff | FHSD celebrated its first-ever class of Excellence in Education Honorees in June. Twenty outstanding staff, nominated by their peers, students and families, were formally recognized at a luncheon ceremony and extensively thanked for their dedication and positive impact. 

Going the Extra Mile | FHSD bus drivers competed in the regional School Bus Driver Safety Road-e-o in the fall where they tested their skills in a friendly competition. The drivers representing FHSD drove away with the “Spirit Award”! 

Ohio’s Best | Sherwood Elementary’s Administrative Assistant Mary Mitchell was named Administrative Assistant of the Year by the Ohio Association of Elementary School Administrators. 

Laudable Leadership | Chris Newton, Athletic Director at Anderson High School, was named the Athletic Director of the Year by the Southwest Ohio Athletic Directors Association. 

Community Celebration of Character | Rhonda Deatherage, Administrative Assistant at Nagel Middle School was recently celebrated with the Adult Hero of Character Award from the Cincinnati Character Council. 

Award-Winning Finances | FHSD once again received the Auditor of State Award for having a “clean” audit report. Fewer than 13% of all Ohio entities receive this recognition. 

Community Connections 

A Refreshed Look | FHSD’s successful and fast-growing Community Partnership Program was rebranded to the Experiential Career Learning (XCL) Program at the start of the 2025-2026 school year. The name change reflects the program’s growth and more accurately reflects the wide variety of opportunities it offers students. 

Ohio Lt. Governor Visits Maddux | Maddux Elementary was honored to welcome Ohio Lieutenant Governor Jim Tressel and his crew in August to promote the Team Tressel Fitness Challenge, an optional fitness challenge that all FHSD elementary school students were encouraged to participate in to build healthy habits.