Category: News

Hilliard had 48 incredible art pieces selected for the Regional Governor’s Youth Art Show at the McConnell Arts Center! The exhibit opens Thursday, March 27, 2025, showcasing the creativity of students from Bradley, Darby, and Davidson.

A huge congratulations to Hanna Hammond, Penelope Mathews, and Matt Sapp, who advanced to the State Governor’s Youth Art Show! Their work will be displayed at the Rhodes Tower with an opening and awards ceremony on Sunday, May 4, 2025.

We’re so proud of all our student artists!

📍 Hilliard Bradley Artists:
Sydney Thress, Adrianna Merriman, Meagan Kraft, Emily Kabalan, Justin Sasaki, Sara Ahmed, Hanna Hammond, Hailey Potts, Lucy Buscher, Adrianna McClung, Allison Mayberry, Faith Michel, Kaitlyn Alig, Lulu Muamar, Kat Oakley, Abigail George, Gracyn Hansley, Matt Sapp, Jaycie Scorese

📍 Hilliard Darby Artists:
Noelle Hampton, Luke Imwalle, Brynn Schaaf, Mars Harmon, Marz Bezuhlyy, Lily Bratka

📍 Hilliard Davidson Artists:
Nicolo Rossi, AJ Slough, Tyler Jelen, Lakelan Harris, Brooklyn Murlin, Elyse Vitanovic, Greta Bordjadze, Kayla Shields, Penelope Mathews, Daphne Liddil, Abigiayle Burroughs

We are proud to recognize Hilliard’s outstanding students who have been named National Merit Finalists! This prestigious honor is a testament to their dedication, hard work, and academic excellence.

The National Merit Scholarship Program is a highly competitive academic competition that begins with more than 1.5 million students entering by taking the PSAT/NMSQT. Of those, only about 15,000 students nationwide advance to Finalist standing, making this an incredible achievement.

Congratulations to our 2025 National Merit Finalists:
📍 Darby High School – Carson Yoder & Yashvi Pathrai
📍 Bradley High School – Alexander Diaz, Charles Pforsich & Nicholas Woodham (not pictured)
📍 Davidson High School – Joshua Lance & Leah Pfefferle

We are incredibly proud of these students and all they have accomplished. Their hard work, perseverance, and commitment to academic excellence set a wonderful example for our entire district. We look forward to seeing all they achieve in the future!

Detective Brandon Long of the Hilliard Police Department is a familiar face in the community; and what many would call a hometown hero thanks to his passion projects. 

After graduating from Hilliard Davidson High School in 1998, he served in security and policing in the military for six years before attending Ohio University where he got a bachelor’s in criminology and a master’s in sociology. 

During his undergrad experience, Long participated in the Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program. Classes are held in a prison which gives students the chance to see crime and social justice issues from a different perspective. This piqued his interest in the incarceration aspect of criminology and sociology and landed him an internship in a Mexican prison for three months. 

From there, he worked for the Athens County Prosecutor in their Victim Advocacy and Diversion Program where he served as the primary counselor to 20+ incarcerated individuals at the SEPTA Correctional Facility. He joined the Hilliard Police Department as a police officer in 2011 and has since served in various roles with the division, including as a member of the crash investigation team, traffic safety officer, and criminal investigator. He has also helped with Safety Town, a program that teaches area kindergarteners important safety lessons.  

What he’s most known for, however, is his advocacy and coaching role with the Hilliard Bobcats Special Olympics. He currently serves as the State Director of the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics Ohio which raises awareness and support for the Special Olympics. 

Long said his understanding of the special needs community has helped not only fellow Hilliard police officers but law enforcement personnel across Ohio have better outcomes when interacting with those who have special needs. “It keeps our officers and our entire community safer,” he said. 

Thank you, Detective Long, for your dedication and commitment to serving our community. Your efforts make a meaningful impact, ensuring safer and more positive interactions for everyone. We appreciate your service!

If you have an alumni you would like to see spotlighted, click here to send us an email!

As part of Phase 1 of our Master Facilities Plan, we are excited to share that the future home of Hilliard City Schools’ new preschool will be on the Britton Norwich campus, connected to Norwich Elementary. This location will provide a welcoming, accessible space for our youngest learners while keeping them connected to the broader school community.

While this is an important milestone, we want to emphasize that there is still much work to be done. Our team is carefully considering key factors such as traffic flow, parking,  pedestrian safety, playground design, and bell schedules to ensure a safe and efficient environment for students, staff, and families. Additionally, we are working closely with the City of Hilliard and Norwich Township Fire Department to address environmental and safety concerns, ensuring that the project aligns with all regulations and best practices.

We recognize that our community has a vested interest in this project, and we remain committed to transparency throughout the process. As planning progresses and details are finalized, we will continue to provide updates and opportunities for engagement.

Thank you for your continued support as we take this exciting step toward expanding and enhancing early childhood education in Hilliard!

Congratulations to this month’s Embrace, Empower & Inspire Award winners, Kylie Bell (Intervention Assistant at Darby High School), and Marcy Baker (SACC at Tharp).

“Ms. bell deserves this award because she’s there for every student d helps those in need with the panther corner. she also encourages me to see the good in myself. lastly she helps me out on decisions and making life choices that are hard but helping me through and explaining the choices better. lastly she’s gets along with everyone and helps a variety of kids in and out of school.”

“Miss Marcy is amazing. We love getting to see her every now and then at Station even though Elora isn’t with her at Tharp any more. At the bowling alley excursion, she stepped naturally into a leadership role and helped kids feel comfortable the space and have fun with their friends and the activity. I felt very comfortable leaving my child in her care and my child lit up with joy when they saw her. She was the best balance between strict and caring so that kids knew how to behave and still felt valued. She also created a team feeling among her fellow staff that benefitted the kids and I’m sure made it a good working environment. We appreciate even more that she is an advocate for kids of color, going out of her way to help kids of all races understand how race affects experience.”

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!