Brookfield school Supt. Toby Gibson said he’s always reflective at the end of the school year, mulling “what went well, what didn’t go well.”
“This year, some things occurred that get you thinking in depth,” he said, mentioning the death of his long-time assistant, Darla Davis, as one of those things.
“You start wondering whether or not you’re moving the needle,” he told the school board on July 23. “You spend all that time with your head down and working and, sometimes, you don’t look up.”
Toby Gibson
Gibson looked up by compiling a list of accomplishments since he took over as superintendent in the summer of 2019. He called it the “State of the District.” Those accomplishments occurred in the areas of buildings and grounds, student and staff health and safety, athletics, academics, district visibility, curriculum, new programs and courses and community involvement.
He also listed $5.1 million in grants the district has been awarded and set his goals for the future.
“Life goes by so quick,” Gibson said. “To put it on paper, to see it, it puts things in perspective of how far we’ve come.”
By “we” he included the administration and staff. “It’s one thing to start a new program, or have an idea to start a new program. It’s another thing to see it through to fruition and do it well enough that people from other school districts around the state want to come and see what it is you’re doing,” Gibson said.
Board member Jerry Necastro said the list shows that administrators and the board “have been stewards of the taxpayers’ dollars, and it shows right there what we’ve spent the money on to move our school forward. Hopefully, as we move forward and ask for different things from the taxpayers of Brookfield, they’ll understand that we’re not blowing smoke. We say what we need and hopefully they’ll continue to support.”
As a parent, board member Sarah Kurpe said, her children have benefited from many of the things listed.
“This is a great brag sheet,” she said. “As a small district, we have a lot to be proud of.”
Board member Ronda Bonekovic said the list of grants justifies the hiring of VAZA Consultants, a grant-writing and business consulting firm.
“I think, because we come here and do this every day, it’s hard to step back and look at, ‘Oh my gosh! We did this and this and this,’” said Treasurer Jordan Weber, who was hired in August 2022. “It’s really incredible to see it on paper and take a moment and reflect on just how much stuff we’ve done.”
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Brookfield School Supt. Toby Gibson identified the following as accomplishments over his six years as superintendent:
Leadership and Strategic Initiatives
Oversaw the mitigation of the middle school shale issue and finalized the accompanying legal settlements.
Attended the Appalachia Event at the Ohio governor’s mansion.
Hosted visits to the school by Lt. Gov. Jon Husted and Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague.
Hosted dozens of schools, companies and organizations for tours of the school.
Developed a five-year strategic plan.
Developed a five-year technology plan.
Developed an annual Title I plan for the use of federal grants.
Established regular reviews and updates of school district policies.
Partnered with Vision to Learn to offer free eye screenings and glasses for students.
Partnered with the Smiles Program to offer dental checkups to students.
Partnered with Alta Care Group to establish a Head Start classroom.
Partnered with Trumbull County Educational Services Center to establish a special education unit for elementary students with multiple disabilities.
Increased the number of custodial staff to adequately care for the buildings.
Established a school resource officer with Brookfield Police Department.
Collaborated with Brookfield police and fire and OSC Safety to establish safety protocols.
Partnered with a community-based mental health provider as part of the S.P.E.A.R. Program.
Partnered with juvenile courts to provide a middle school social worker.
Established the community liaison position.
Partnered with Trumbull County Educational Services Center to utilize a public relations consultant.
Increased family engagement activities.
Negotiated new contracts with both unions.
Educational Programs and Curriculum Development
Established a program whereby every student in grades three through 12 gets a computer for school use.
Installed Promethean boards – electronic, multi-media blackboards – in every classroom.
Installed distance learning soundbars and cameras.
Aligned the math and English curriculum for grades kindergarten through 12. Before that, “Everybody (teachers) kind of did their own thing,” Gibson said.
Aligned the school district with the state’s Science of Reading initiative.
Established social-emotional learning programs and curriculum for all grades.
Updated science curriculum.
Established career-technical education courses at the middle school.
Established science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) courses in grades kindergarten through eight.
Established drone programs in the high school and a drone special class in grade seven.
Established high school and middle eSports teams.
Established STEM clubs in each building.
Established an elementary art club.
Embedded professional development days in the school calendar.
Embedded industry-recognized credentials in various courses.
Established six pathways to graduation.
Established the high school Career-Based Intervention program.
Established three pre-apprenticeship certificates.
Established the building trades (wood shop) program.
Created a Maker Space.
Created an advanced manufacturing program at the high school.
Established an associate’s degree program with the University of Akron.
Created an industrial robotics program at the high school.
Established a Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports program for all grades.
Established on-campus College Credit Plus programs with Youngstown State University and Stark State University.
Was named a top-35 school in career readiness in the state of Ohio.
Infrastructure and Facility Enhancements
Painted entrances blue.
Added decorative covers to entrance windows and school banners in hallways.
Updated and expanded the camera system.
Installed classroom panic buttons.
Installed exterior door sensors.
Purchased Go Buckets for use in classrooms when the school is locked down.
Developed a safety plan with Brookfield police and fire departments.
Updated staff computers.
Installed digital cameras in classrooms.
Installed LED lighting in the school.
Updated heating controls.
Installed new lights and poles at Nicholas Field, which were transferred to the campus athletic stadium.
Moved football games onto campus.
Built an athletic stadium on campus.
In the process of installing artificial turf at the stadium.
Renovated the school bus garage.
Updated the bus fleet.
Established an annual service plan for buses.
Installed cameras and radios in buses and LED safety arms on them.
Installed safety balusters at school entrances.
Upgraded physical education and weight room equipment.
Upgraded music equipment.
Updated auditorium control panel.
Updated gymnasium and cafeteria sound systems.
Moved the board office out of the school building and into a separate building.
Community and Students Services
Created a community service honor cord for graduates.
Established an afterschool tutoring program for all grades.
Partnered with YSU to create an elementary afterschool program.
Established summer learning programs for all grades.
Established regular newsletters that go out three times a year.
Provided weekly one-call telephone messages.
Established a marketing plan for the district.
Established the Summer Feeding Program.
Established the elementary fresh fruit and vegetable snack program.
Established free breakfasts and lunches for all students.
Partnered with Cook Center for Human Connections to offer parent counseling through ParentGuidance.org
Partnered with Paper Online Tutoring for free online tutoring for students in grades three through 12.
Achieved Purple Star School designation for service to military.
Grants and Donations
Was awarded $5.1 million in grants to establish Maker Space and Robotics lab, upgrade school safety and transportation, establish career-technical education programs, offer staff training, increase broadband connectivity, offer health and mental health services and address homelessness and juvenile legal issues.
Accepted about $400,000 in donations to programs and facilities.
What’s on the Horizon?
Develop a community learning center in the Tiffany’s building.
Create new career tech labs.
Partner with SCOPE Senior Services to offer services from the Tiffany’s building.
Work with ONE Health Ohio to develop a school-based health clinic for students, families and staff.
Establish an engineering and science technologies program.
Develop a complete on-campus athletic complex that includes baseball and softball fields.
Expand the drone racing program to the middle school.
Create robotics teams in all buildings.
Expand district branding in the district and community.
Work on grants to expand the community learning center.
Develop a combined academic/PBIS/wellness document.
Apply for a STEM and/or STEAM (STEM plus arts) designation.
Establish student leadership teams.
Strengthen community partnerships.
