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    Ottawa Hills High School Named a National Blue Ribbon School

    Ottawa Hills Jr./Sr. High School has been named a National Blue Ribbon School, one of the most prestigious honors a school can receive in the United States. 

    The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program has recognized public and private schools for overall academic excellence for more than 40 years. Ottawa Hills High School was recognized in the Exemplary High Performing category, which identifies schools that rank among the highest performers in their state as measured by state assessments or national standardized testing. 

    The honor is highly competitive. Schools must submit a rigorous application detailing their culture, curriculum, assessments, instructional practices, professional development, leadership, and family and community involvement. From all applications received nationally, no more than 420 schools are nominated before the final list is selected. Schools must also have been in existence for at least five years and are ineligible if they have received the award within the prior five years. 

    "This recognition is a direct reflection of the dedication and excellence our teachers and staff bring to Ottawa Hills every single day. They set a high bar for themselves and for our students, and this award is a testament to that commitment," said Ottawa Hills Jr./Sr. High School Principal Ben McMurray. 

    In his congratulatory letter to the school, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine wrote, "This is an incredible honor and reflects the dedication of your entire school," adding, "Teachers and school leaders have the power to change lives."

    Ottawa Hills Jr./Sr. High School is consistently among Ohio's top-ranked schools, earning 5-star ratings on the Ohio School Report Card and recognition as a Cognia School of Distinction. U.S. News and World Report ranked the school No. 1 in the Toledo metro area, No. 3 in the state and No. 169 in the nation in 2025. The school offers 18 AP courses, more than 99% of graduates enroll in higher education, and the average ACT composite score of 27 far exceeds state and national averages. For more than a decade, the school has earned the Governor's Thomas Edison Award for Excellence in STEM Education. 

    Ottawa Hills High School received notice of earning the award from the U.S. Department of Education last fall. While the program has historically been administered by the U.S. Department of Education, the award was officially presented by the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce in March 2026 following restructuring within the federal government. 

    STATE CHAMPIONS!

    OHIO STATE CHAMPIONS!

    History was made this April, as our Quiz Bowl team captured the Small School State Championship title at the 2026 NAQT Ohio State Championship in Bellefontaine!

    Competing against the best programs in Ohio, Ottawa Hills finished with an impressive 8-2 record, tying for 2nd place overall in the Championship Group and securing the #1 Small School ranking in the state.

    Our Green Bears faced tough competition from Solon, Talawanda, Mason, Little Miami, defending overall State Champion Northmont, and defending Small School State Champion Pandora-Gilboa.

    Congratulations to our state champions: Meral Humaida, Rohan Padhye, Sahil Parikh, and Zacharia Rashid (Team A), along with Jasper Allred, Josef Duley, Pranathi Gundabolu, Sam Kapadia, Audrey Kelm, Rory Norris, Sungjoo Park, Evelyn Parsons, and Emily Timmerman. Team leading scorer Zacharia Rashid also competed at the Individual Player National Championship in Chicago the weekend of April 11-12, facing 301 formidable opponents from across the country. Zach placed 115th overall out of 302 competitors and notably finished 12th out of 302 in the Math and Science category!

    The team now heads to Chicago (April 24-26) for the Small School National Championship and Atlanta (May 22-24) for the NAQT High School National Championship.

    Thank you to OHSPA, Ottawa Hills Schools Foundation, and advisor Tim Adkins for their unwavering support. The team will be formally recognized at the spring sports assembly along with state champion swimmer Thomas Lathrop and state champion debater Anna Yang.

    Go Green Bears!

    Ottawa Hills Girls Cross Country Wins Division IV State Championship!
    The image shows a group of female athletes standing on a podium after a cross-country competition, with the OHSAA (Ohio High School Athletic Association) logo and branding prominently displayed in the background.

    The Ottawa Hills Girls Cross Country team made school history, capturing the Division IV State Championship in a remarkable performance among 214 runners from across Ohio.

    Leading the way was Natalie Nixon, who placed an outstanding 5th overall, followed by strong performances from Mercy Alamina, Emily Chen, Molly Mullan, Freya Klaas, Piper Padgett, and Evelyn Sandretto. Together, these runners showcased incredible teamwork, grit, and determination to bring home the top honor.

    In a dramatic finish, the Green Bears edged out 17-time state champions Minster High School, marking a truly special victory for Ottawa Hills.

    The team was guided by dedicated coaches Jeremy Nixon, Mark Sandretto, and Emily Nixon, whose leadership and commitment have inspired excellence all season long.

    Recording and Presentation now available

    The annual 2025-2026 State of the District presentation and recording are now available at the links below. Thank you to Miss Hayley Hoss and the Ottawa Hills Choraliers for opening the evening with a beautiful performance of the National Anthem, and a special thanks to our Student Council guest speakers, Sami and Abraham Sediqe from the elementary school and Nina Clark from the jr./sr. high school, for sharing the student perspective.

    Watch the recording

    View the presentation

    District earns 5-Stars rating on 2024-25 State Report Card

    The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce released School Report Cards, and Ottawa Hills Local Schools achieved the state's highest 5-Star Report Card rating. This distinction was earned by only 8% of Ohio districts. This recognition reflects the incredible dedication of our faculty, staff, students and families. Congratulations to our Green Bear community for making excellence happen every day!

    Congratulations to our High School teachers, staff, and students!

    U.S. News & World Report released its "Best High Schools" national rankings on Aug. 19, 2025. Ottawa Hills High School is ranked:

    • # 169 in the National Rankings
    • # 3 in Ohio High Schools
    • # 1 in the Toledo Metro Area High Schools
    • # 266 in STEM High Schools

    These rankings are a direct reflection of the commitment and outstanding work our teachers and staff do every single day. Their passion, creativity and compassion, along with the unwavering support of our parents and community, provide our students what it takes to make this school a truly special place. Congratulations to our high school teachers, staff and students on this incredible achievement!

    Cognia School of Distinction

    Ottawa Hills Jr./Sr. High School has earned the Cognia School of Distinction for Excellence in Education Award, as well as accreditation. This recognition is for our steadfast commitment to providing a high-quality education for every one of our students and our promise to continue improving for them.

    The Cognia accreditation process involves rigorous evaluations using the latest research and understanding of learning, teaching, and leading. As a School of Distinction, we join the other 49 schools receiving this honor across 16 states and 7 countries that represent benchmark institutions in quality education. 

    Many thanks to our amazing faculty and staff, students, parents, leadership team, board of education, community, and our support organizations!

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