Author: Tanner Atha

Emma Wood Turek graduated from Davidson in 2019 and has since gone on to have a successful career in the military. 

She graduated from the Air Force Academy in 2023 and is working toward her master’s in Aerospace Engineering at Texas A&M University. She is currently slated to attend intelligence school upon completion of her degree but hopes to become a pilot. 

Emma said Hilliard City Schools focus on STEM career fields more than prepared her for life post-high school. 

“Davidson has great pre-engineering, physics and math programs, which helped me advance to where I am today,” she said. 

She was especially influenced by math and pre-engineering teacher Mr. Kuch and science teacher Mr. Herring. 

If you know an alumnus who deserves the spotlight, click here to send us an email!

Congratulations to this month’s Embrace, Empower & Inspire Award winners, Amanda Gasaway (Transportation), Marie Desrosiers (Transportation), and Katie Speakman (Hilliard Davidson Spanish Teacher).

These staff members go above and beyond the expectations of the Hilliard Way and truly make a difference in our district. If you know a staff member who goes above and beyond their way to make a difference, you can nominate them for next month’s award by clicking HERE!

In unofficial results, voters have approved the $142 million bond issue and 6.9-mill operating levy proposed by the Hilliard City Schools Board of Education. The successful passage of the levy and bond will allow the district to address immediate and future operational and educational needs.

“We are incredibly grateful to our community for their support,” said Superintendent David Stewart. “This outcome ensures we can move forward with critical investments in our schools, staff, and programs, all of which are essential to ensuring that every student has a learning environment that supports 21st-century instruction.”

The approved funding will allow the district to preserve current programming, avoid staffing cuts, and move ahead with Phase 1 of the Master Facilities Plan. This includes a new sixth-grade school, three new elementary buildings, and additional preschool classrooms, as well as improvements to athletic and performing arts spaces, increased safety and security, and playground renovations. Superintendent Stewart added, “We’re excited to continue our mission of ensuring every student is Ready for Tomorrow, and we thank the entire community for their investment in the future of our schools.  Because of this investment, the next several years will be an exciting time for our Hilliard City Schools community.”

In the coming months, the district will communicate its progress relative to these plans on a regular basis with the community.

Dr. Lauren Thai is a 2013 graduate of Bradley High School. She left her mark by graduating third overall and as the No. 1 female in Bradley’s inaugural class. Additionally, she made school history by being the first-ever state champion in doubles tennis.

She went on to graduate magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Toledo in Toledo, Ohio, where she competed as a Division I tennis player and received numerous academic and athletic honors. 

Lauren continued her education at Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio, before completing a rigorous Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics residency at Saint Louis University in St. Louis, Missouri. This earned her a board certification, a distinction held by only 50% of orthodontic professionals. 

Dr. Thai recently returned to Hilliard and purchased Kiourtsis Orthodontics. Outside of her professional success, she remains dedicated to giving back to her community, regularly sponsoring local events and contributing to the growth of her hometown. If you have an alumni you would like to see spotlighted, click here to send us an email!

See the Impact of Issue #39! Here is a chart that shows what each building in the district will receive if issue 39 is successful.

Hilliard City Schools is taking important steps to prepare for the future. Below is a conceptual design of the new elementary schools that will be built if Issue 39 passes. We are planning now so that, if successful, work can begin as soon as possible. Please note, these designs are preliminary, and many details are still being finalized. Here are a few items to highlight:

New Brown Elementary School

· 4 dedicated kindergarten classrooms

· 20 dedicated grade 1 through 5 classrooms

· One each of art, music, gymnasium, and innovation & discovery center areas

Rebuilt Ridgewood and Beacon Elementary Schools

· 2 additional dedicated kindergarten classrooms with restrooms, 4 total

· 6 dedicated rooms for special education, EL, and gifted programs

· 2 extended learning areas and 4 small group areas

· Dedicated makerspace adjacent to the Innovation and Discovery Center

· Enhanced administrative offices with integral security vestibule

· Enclosed mechanical equipment mezzanine

We appreciate your interest as we continue to address the district’s facility needs.