The District Countdown will serve as your one-stop shop for updates across the district. While buildings may still share grade-level or building-specific updates, this newsletter is designed to be the best place for all families—no matter the grade level—to stay informed about what’s happening in our schools.

The Roadmap to Student Success Big things are happening! Following the approval of our new mission and vision, we are working on the creation of a five-year strategic plan that puts those words into action.

In March, we will unveil this plan to the Board of Education, along with our Master Facilities Plan. This isn't just paperwork—it’s a promise. These documents represent years of work and will dictate how we operate for the next five years. We are narrowing our focus to one critical outcome: making sure every student who walks through our doors is ready for what’s next.

Stay Informed: A proposal to abolish property taxes would have catastrophic consequences for our community. According to the Ohio Office of Budget and Management, eliminating property taxes would destabilize local budgets and force deep cuts to schools, law enforcement, fire and EMS services, libraries, senior programs, and infrastructure.

Property taxes are the primary local funding source for our schools and essential community services. Without a clear and realistic replacement plan, abolishing them would significantly harm the education of our students and the safety and well-being of our community.

We encourage our community members to stay informed, understand the serious local impact, and make your voice heard on this critical issue.

 Our Treasurer’s office is closely monitoring this report from The Hannah Report regarding the 'catastrophic' effects such a change could have on local services and school stability."

We had a colorful week in preschool!  Our students focused on learning and identifying colors through hands-on activities, games, art projects and classroom discussions.  During storytime, we read, "Vincent Paints His House" by Tedd Arnold.  The students loved following Vincent's painting adventure and discovering all the bright colors throughout the story.  We will continue reinforcing color recognition in everyday activities, so feel free to ask your child to point out colors at home, in the grocery store, or while riding in the car.

Thank you for your support!  We love watching your children learn and grow each week.

Save the date! On April 25th the CNE PreK-5 PTO is sponsoring Movie Night. The event is FREE, snacks and drinks will be provided. The event will be held at CNE Elementary, doors open at 5:30pm. 

Start saving those coins! Coin Wars will be March 16-20. The PTO has some amazing incentives planned for students and staff. Supporting PTO fundraisers allows them to bring special events for our kids,classroom snacks, games and so much more! 

It was an action-packed week for CNE Athletics. While our basketball seasons have come to a close, our wrestling programs are moving forward with momentum into the District tournaments.

Girls Wrestling: Sectional Success

Coach Tom Donahue The girls’ team delivered a standout performance at Western Brown on Friday, Feb. 27, placing 6th overall out of 25 schools. (See photo below)

District Qualifiers: Liberty Johnson (1st), Ava Stephan (2nd), Lee Pendleton (3rd), and Clarissa Hoskins (4th).

Highlights: Liberty Johnson captured her third consecutive Sectional Championship and improved her season record to 40-6. She enters the post-season ranked #5 in the state.

Coach's Note: Coach Donahue praised Linda Leiman for her best performance of the year, and we are sending our best to Clarissa Hoskins, who is recovering from an injury sustained in her final match.

Boys Wrestling: Post-Season Hardware

Coach Scott Wells The boys’ squad added several medals to the trophy case this weekend as they secured their spots in the next round:

Sectional Champions: Alex Neukam and Jaxon Vining both took home 1st place finishes.

District Qualifier: Wyatt Curnutte took 3rd place to advance.

District Alternates: Athan Foster and Clayton Beach placed 5th.

Next Up: The District Tournament takes place Sunday, March 8, at Harrison High School. You can follow the District Brackets here.

Basketball Season Recaps

Girls Varsity (Coach Ryan Smith) The Lady Rockets ended their season on Feb. 24 in the District Semifinals. It was a milestone year for the program, finishing 13-10 overall (8-4 league) and securing a third-place finish in the SBAAC National Division. Most notably, the team won the program’s first tournament game in four years.

Boys Varsity (Coach Brian Lawhon) The boys’ team fell in the first round of the OHSAA tournament on Feb. 25. They finish the winter with an 11-12 record (7-5 league) and a third-place finish in the SBAAC National Division. Both the players and coaching staff are excited to build on this year's growth for next season.

Ryder Crawford (Rio Grande) 3k and Lucy Sullivan (Cumberland) 3000race walk qualified for NAIA national championships 

Cj Boothby (Ohio Northern) set conference record in the 60m at his indoor conference championship

https://www.onusports.com/sports/mtrack/2025-26/releases/20260228rzlyri

This is a first‑shift position, Monday through Friday. Students must be at least 17 years old and hold a valid driver’s license.

Drop-Off
HS: 6:50 AM
MS: 6:45 AM
ES: 8:20 AM
AM PS: 8:15 AM
PM PS: 12:20 PM

Dismissal
HS: 2:03 PM
MS: 1:57 PM
ES: 3:20 PM
AM PS: 11:05 AM
PM PS: 3:10 PM

School Day
HS: 7:20 AM – 2:03 PM
MS: 7:10 AM – 1:57 PM
ES: 8:45 AM – 3:27 PM*

AM PS: 8:20AM - 11:05AM

PM PS: 12:25PM - 3:10PM

*The elementary day is 10 minutes longer this year.

CNE Schools Stay Connected with the CNE Schools App!

Did you know CNE Schools has its very own app? With just a tap, you can:
✔️ Stay up-to-date with school news
✔️ Check lunch menus
✔️ Get important alerts and notifications
✔️ See what’s happening across all our schools

It’s free, easy to use, and the best way to keep up with all the great things happening at CNE!

👉 Download it today from the Apple or Android App Store by searching “CNE Schools” or using the links below:

• Apple Devices

• Android Devices

Once you’ve got the app, don’t forget to turn on notifications in your Settings so you never miss an update!has an app for smart phones!  With the app you can find information about your child’s school, read news articles, view lunch menus, get updates and notifications all with the touch of a button.  Download the app today to keep updated on all the great things happening at CNE Schools.  The app is available free of charge in the Apple and Android App Stores.  You can search “CNE Schools” or follow the links below.  Once you download the app, make sure you turn on notifications in the “Settings” menu so you can receive updates and notifications from the school.

Apple Devices - https://goo.gl/jk6GcL

Android Devices - https://goo.gl/qXeivK