Building a Stronger Culture at Van Wert City Schools

At Van Wert City Schools, culture matters. It affects how staff work together, how students are supported and how challenges are handled each day.

Over the past several years, Van Wert City Schools has made a continued commitment to building a strong, positive culture throughout the district. Through its partnership with Focus 3, staff members have been given practical tools and a common language centered around leadership, accountability and focusing on the things within their control.

What started as professional development has become much more. These principles have become part of the everyday work taking place across the district. Administrators have continued to lead the effort, while staff members have found ways to apply the concepts in classrooms, offices and interactions with students.

That work is making a difference.

During the 2025–2026 school year, Van Wert City Schools saw a 40.4 percent decrease in total behavioral incidents, a 56.1 percent decrease in office referrals and a 35.6 percent decrease in teacher referrals. The number of students receiving referrals also decreased by 25.7 percent.

Those numbers are encouraging, but they represent something bigger. They reflect the work of staff members who show up every day committed to building relationships, supporting students and creating an environment where students can be successful.

No single program or initiative is responsible for that progress. Strong culture is the result of people working together, being consistent and continuing to get better.

The work is not finished. Culture never is.

Van Wert City Schools will continue to invest in its people, support its students and build upon the progress already made. It takes everyone working together toward the same goal, and that commitment will continue to be an important part of what makes Van Wert City Schools a great place to learn and grow.’

Read more about Van Wert City Schools’s journey and partnership with Focus 3 in the full case study here: https://focus3.com/case-study/van-wert-city-schools/