Midwest
WEINGARTEN, COFFEY: In Appalachia, one school district is proving public education still works
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In a small, rural corner of southeast Ohio, something transformational is happening. The area’s public schools are powering economic and community renewal deep in Appalachia. While much has been said about America’s declining high school test scores, New Lexington schools are unlocking real opportunity for students and offering a blueprint for relevant and engaging public schools that meet the needs of local communities.
In New Lexington schools, every student is exposed early and often to hands-on learning, career exploration and real-world skills that prepare them for life after high school. On a recent visit, students proudly showcased their work — from the school farm where students manage crops and livestock, to phlebotomy labs, to an industrial kitchen. At the middle school, we visited classes infused with career exploration. The district’s new workforce development center will include a health clinic, adult education programs and other programs for students and the community.
With support from grants and local partnerships, the district built out a welding program, a fabrication lab and an electrical trades pathway by partnering with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. Students now leave high school with industry-recognized credentials and apprenticeship opportunities in hand. By partnering with Genesis HealthCare System, students begin training as phlebotomists and healthcare workers before they graduate. They’re gaining experience in real hospitals while addressing workforce needs in the region. The district has also added programs ranging from drone certification to media production, with more planned around advanced manufacturing and broadband technology.
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New Lexington also focuses on well-being and addressing the needs of the whole child. Every dollar spent on these kinds of programs generates an average of $7 that goes back into the community. All students receive free breakfast, lunch and dinner, and the schools partner with local agencies to ensure adequate counselors and mental health providers. Preschool has been expanded to five days a week. There are after-school programs and services for families, and the district is employing strategies to confront the opioid crisis. And schools have added driver’s education and other programs to make sure students can get to their jobs.
FILE – New Lexington also focuses on well-being and addressing the needs of the whole child. (iStock)
The district is also making childcare affordable for teachers and staff and giving students valuable experience at the same time. The Cub Academy day care program provides affordable childcare to teachers and others in the community and gives students in the education program, where they earn college credits, the opportunity to get their clinical field experience caring for and teaching kids there.
At a time when too many young people feel disconnected from school and uncertain about their futures, New Lexington’s approach to career and technical education and career exploration is driving student engagement, providing students real ownership over their futures, ensuring student well-being and breathing new life into a rural community. It is also breaking down barriers by making CTE part of what all students experience, not some separate school that only some kids attend.
The results are impressive. During the last school year, the district’s 780 students participating in these programs earned 1,551 industry credentials connected to employment opportunities in their region. And by expanding these hands-on learning experiences that make school relevant and engaging for every student and addressing the needs of children and families, the district’s graduation rate has climbed from 78% in 2018 to 99% today. Attendance rates have increased, and the district is seeing growing enrollment as families want to be part of the amazing public education being offered.
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On our visit together, we heard directly from students on the impact New Lexington’s approach is having on their lives and futures, including a student engaged in the apprenticeship program with IBEW and a student in the media program who will graduate with an associate degree he earned while at New Lexington High School.
FILE PHOTO – There’s no secret recipe for New Lexington’s success. At the center of this work is a belief in community and relationships — that educators, unions, businesses and nonprofits can partner on programs and supports for students and families and truly make their schools the propeller of growth and opportunity for the region. (iStock)
There’s no secret recipe for New Lexington’s success. At the center of this work is a belief in community and relationships — that educators, unions, businesses and nonprofits can partner on programs and supports for students and families and truly make their schools the propeller of growth and opportunity for the region. In New Lexington, teachers are truly listened to, respected and supported. It’s why, as the president of a national teachers union and the superintendent of the district, we want to showcase this collaborative approach to CTE and community schooling that can and should be adapted across the country.
The New Lexington region has long-faced challenges similar to other rural communities’— increased poverty, an opioid addiction crisis, limited resources, barriers to post-secondary access, and workforce shortages. And only a small percentage of its students went on to complete a full four-year degree after high school. But New Lexington didn’t retreat from these challenges; everyone rolled up their sleeves to identify solutions and partnerships to reimagine public school as a way to transform the community.
FILE – As a nation, we should be learning from what places like New Lexington are doing and using it as a blueprint to invest in this kind of powerful, purposeful public education across America. (iStock)
Educators worked with families and businesses to make sure the school was meeting the needs of the community and providing pathways to good jobs in New Lexington. The district looked at the industries in the area and the types of jobs offered in those industries and built programming around them. And this work starts early, with students as young as the third grade getting their first experiences welding (with lots of supervision!). It’s about changing perceptions — of what students can do, of what rural schools can be, and of what kind of future is possible for places like the New Lexington region and beyond.
As a nation, we should be learning from what places like New Lexington are doing and using it as a blueprint to invest in this kind of powerful, purposeful public education across America. We should be investing in the strategies that provide students multiple pathways to college or a career after high school. The hands-on, project-based learning offered in CTE schools is relevant, engaging and helps students learn to problem-solve, think critically, communicate effectively and gain real-world experience. That’s why 95 percent of CTE students graduate from high school nationwide, and 70 percent go to college. These programs give real opportunity to students, rejuvenate local economies, solve workforce shortage issues and bring communities together.
America’s future is tied to the opportunities we create for our young people. And as New Lexington proves, the route to the American dream continues to run directly through our public schools. That requires us to work together to strengthen, not abandon, public education. New Lexington offers a powerful example to follow.
Casey Coffey is superintendent of New Lexington Schools, a public school district in southeast Ohio.
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BISMARCK (North Dakota Monitor) — A federal district court judge indicated he will nullify a nearly $28 million judgment against the federal government related to costs North Dakota incurred during the Dakota Access Pipeline protests so the parties can reach a settlement.
North Dakota is still set to receive a payment Attorney General Drew Wrigley described as satisfactory, but attorneys would not disclose the amount during a Friday hearing.
Attorneys for the United States and North Dakota said the settlement would allow the parties to avoid litigating the case in appeals court,putting the nearly seven-year-old lawsuit to rest.
“We’re hoping we really don’t need to fight any further,” Department of Justice attorney Jonathan Guynn said during the hearing.
The lawsuit, filed in 2019, concerns demonstrations against the construction of the crude oil pipeline, also known as DAPL, that took place in rural south-central North Dakota in 2016 and 2017.
North Dakota claims the federal government caused the protests to grow in size and intensity by unlawfully allowing demonstrators to camp on federal land. The state says it had to pay millions of dollars on policing and cleaning up the encampments as a result. The United States denies the state’s allegations.
North Dakota U.S. District Court Judge Daniel Traynor in April 2025 sided with the state and ordered the executive branch to pay North Dakota the $28 million sum, a decision the U.S. Department of Justice later appealed to the 8th Circuit.
If the settlement moves forward, North Dakota would receive a “substantial monetary payment” from the United States, attorneys said Friday. As a condition of the agreement, the Department of Justice wants Traynor’s judgment and three other orders in which he ruled against the United States to be voided. That includes the court’s 120-page ruling from April 2025.
Both parties said Friday that having the rulings nullified wouldn’t have a significant negative impact on the public, since the documents could still be cited even if they no longer hold the weight of court orders.
At the same time, Guynn said the Department of Justice wants the orders vacated because it doesn’t want the legal conclusions Traynor made to influence the outcome of future lawsuits.
“The downstream consequences of keeping these on the books is troublesome for the United States,” he said during the hearing. If Traynor does not agree to axe the rulings, the United States would likely no longer be willing to settle and move forward with its appeal instead, Guynn added.
Traynor’s orders make findings about the federal government’s responsibility under the Federal Tort Claims Act — the law North Dakota filed the suit under — which the state noted previously in court filings “could have utility holding the federal government to account” in the future.
Still, attorneys for the state said they believe this trade-off is outweighed by the time and money the public would save by not going through the appeals process. North Dakota would also avoid the risk of having Traynor’s judgment overturned by higher courts.
Wrigley said the settlement will be made public once it’s finalized.
The United States’ appeal of Traynor’s decision has been on hold since last summer, when the state and federal government informed the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals they had started settlement negotiations and wished to pause the case.
The 8th Circuit will have to first send the case back to Traynor before he could grant the parties’ requests.
The case went to trial in Bismarck in early 2024. During the four-week trial, the court heard from witnesses including former governors Doug Burgum and Jack Dalrymple, Native activists, federal officials and law enforcement.
The Dakota Access Pipeline carries crude oil from northwest North Dakota to Illinois. It crosses the Missouri River just north of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation, which prompted the tribe to begin protesting the pipeline on the grounds that it poses a threat to its water supply and sovereignty.
North Dakota’s lawsuit originally requested $38 million in damages from the federal government. Traynor ordered the executive branch to pay $28 million since the U.S. Department of Justice previously gave the state $10 million as compensation for costs it spent related to the protests.
GIRARD, Ohio (WKBN) – Over 100 athletes came together for the 5th Annual Trumbull County Special Olympics Invitational Saturday morning in Girard.
These athletes represent five different schools across Trumbull County to compete and spread the message of inclusion, achievement, and sportsmanship.
The Invitational continued its long-standing tradition of honoring the legacy of Randy Suchanek while celebrating the dedication and accomplishments of Special Olympics athletes throughout the region.
“You can hear all the excitement for this, for the athletes that are here today,” said superintendent Bryan O’Hara. “They work hard all year long to participate. We’ve always worked hand in hand with the rotary to get this accomplished is a lot of work behind the scenes.”
Participating schools included Ashtabula, Geauga, Columbiana, Kent-Portage and Trumbull Fairhaven
“There’s a lot of nice participation from girard students as you see behind us, and a lot of participation from the community helping out,” Girard-Liberty Rotary co-president Andy Kish added.
O’Hara added that the event keeps everything in perspective, seeing the athletes compete in the spirit of fun, along with the courage and determination that they show.
Alex Sorrells contributed to this report.
RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) – A Rapid City church is hosting a free community event Thursday to raise awareness about human trafficking, with organizers saying the danger may be closer than people think.
The Lutheran Women’s Missionary League at Bethlehem Lutheran Church is opening the presentation to the entire community because organizers say awareness alone can save a life.
“If we can get 20 people to understand what to look for — if we can get 20 people to understand that this organization exists — then we can start shining light into every corner, and suddenly it’ll be a better world,” said Alexandra Loverink, co-president of LWML Bethlehem Lutheran Church.
Event details
The free presentation is Thursday, May 14 at 6 p.m. at Bethlehem Lutheran Church on Rushmore Street. The speaker is Reverend Tess Franzen, founder of Freedom’s Journey, a Rapid City-based ministry that has assisted hundreds of trafficking survivors over more than a decade.
Franzen said the problem in South Dakota is far more widespread than most people realize.
“We see mostly sex trafficking, but much of what we see is — some people might call it homegrown or familial,” Franzen said. “We see trafficking here where young people are being trafficked out, their family members are selling access to them when they’re children. And in many cases, they don’t really even realize there’s anything wrong with it.”
Organizer Cari Garwood-Beard said Franzen’s presentation changed how she sees her own neighborhood, and she wants others to have that same wake-up call.
“She told a story about her neighbor one time — just a good old guy — and found out that he was a trafficker. Her neighbor, who she thought was above boards,” Garwood-Beard said. “And it really hit home. My next-door neighbor could be.”
A freewill offering will be collected for Freedom’s Journey at Thursday’s event. Bethlehem Lutheran Church is at 1630 Rushmore Street.
Resources
If you suspect trafficking, dial 9-1-1 or the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.
For more information about Freedom’s Journey, visit their website or call 805.380.8009.
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