Education

ECASD Board of Directors Table Vote on Budget; Pass Tax Increase

Although the Ellwood City Area School District’s Board of Directors voted unanimously (with Director Jennifer Tomon absent) to table a motion to approve the General Fund Budget (view it here) for the 2026-27 fiscal year in the amount of $36,941,103.00, they did approve a tax increase. The tax resolution sets the tax rates for the 2026-27 fiscal year to include the ACT 679 $5 per capita tax, the ACT 511 $10 per capita tax (a shared tax by municipalities), property tax millage at 22.0800 mills, Earned Income Tax at .5%, Realty Transfer Tax at .5% and the Occupational Privilege/Local Service…


CCBC Foundation Announces $50,000 Leadership Gift To “Future Takes Flight” Aviation Campaign

The Community College of Beaver County (CCBC) Foundation has announced a $50,000 leadership gift in support of the college’s “Future Takes Flight” Aviation Capital Campaign, marking the first public contribution toward the initiative. This significant investment will fund the purchase of a new Air Traffic Control (ATC) tabletop simulator, an advanced training tool designed to replicate real-world runway environments, including layouts modeled after Beaver County Airport (BVI), Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT), and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) training academy in Oklahoma City. “This leadership gift represents more than funding, it’s an investment in student success and the future of aviation,”…


Rotary Club of Ellwood City Awards Winning Students At Scholarship Dinner

The tables were packed and the plates full as the Rotary Club of Ellwood City celebrated award winning students at their annual Scholarship Dinner. Students from the Ellwood City Area and Riverside School Districts and their parents were in attendance on Thursday May 21st. In addition to the Club’s scholarships, 2 additional memorial Trade School Scholarships were awarded in memory of Conner Lutz, who would have graduated this year. Conner was a vibrant young man who planned on going into the trades upon graduation. The scholarships were sponsored by his grandfather who is also a fellow Rotarian in Zelienople. Don…


Riverside Class Of 2026 Commencement Is Friday

Congratulations to the Class of 2026. Commencement for the Riverside Beaver County High School Class of 2026 will be held Friday, June 5th, at 6:00 p.m. at the high school football stadium (Memorial Field). Seating on the day of graduation is first come, first served, and no tickets are required. Gates will open at 5:15 p.m. Handicapped seating and parking will be available on the home side bleachers. The ceremony will begin promptly at 6:00 p.m. For those unable to attend the ceremony in person, it will be streamed live on the District YouTube Channel. Riverside Top 5 students in…


Lincoln High School Class of 2026 Commencement Is Thursday

The Lincoln High School graduating Class of 2026 will receive their diplomas Thursday, June 4th at 7:00 p.m. at the Sgt. Leslie H. Sabo Jr. Memorial Auditorium. The Class of 2026 is graduating 106 students. [VIEW FULL GRADUATION LIST] Lincoln High School has three valedictorians: Kiley Leviere Mia Meredith Rori Minerd High Honor Graduates Include (pictured below, in alphabetical order): Devyn Scott Adkins Olivia Summer Beebe Lucas James Bleakney Aubrey Jo Hewitt Kiley Jean LeViere Amber Lynn McQuistion Mia Elizabeth Meredith Rori Lynn Minerd Quinn Sabol Smith Honor Graduates: Alexis Taylor Beck Luke Joseph Carusone Gabrielle Emily Cioffi Drake Brennen…


Riv-Ell Alumni Top 60 With BC3’s Class of 2026

A Wampum resident was the youngest graduate in Butler County Community College’s Class of 2026 and joined a record-tying 15 Riverside or Lincoln high school seniors who have earned a resume-building post-secondary credential from the college. Kennedy Eichler was 17 years and 9 months of age May 13, when BC3’s 58th commencement was held in the Field House on the college’s main campus in Butler Township. BC3’s Riv-Ell Entrepreneurship program Class of 2026 was its largest since its 15-graduate Class of 2024. The yearlong initiative began in the 2018-2019 academic year, was suspended for two years with regard to COVID-19…


21 Ellwood City Area Students Among CCBC Spring 2026 President’s and Dean’s Lists

Monaca, PA – Community College of Beaver County (CCBC) is proud to release 21 names of full-time and part-time Ellwood City area students who achieved either President’s List or Dean’s List honors for the spring 2026 semester. To be named to the President’s List, students must have completed at least 12 hours of credit-bearing courses in which performance grades are awarded and have received a 3.75 grade-point average or above for the semester. Dean’s List honorees must have completed at least 12 hours of credit-bearing courses in which performance grades are awarded and have received a 3.25 to 3.74 grade-point…


ECASD Board of Directors Pass Preliminary Budget with Tax Increase; Consider Financing Plan for Budget Shortfall

The Ellwood City Area School District’s Board of Directors passed a preliminary budget—which calls for a 4.9 percent tax increase—and authorized administration to work with PFM Financial Advisors LLC, as Municipal Advisor on a financing plan as the district faces a more than $1 million budget shortfall. (view the preliminary budget here) Board directors and school officials have a big financial job ahead of them in the coming months as they seek to increase revenues while decreasing spending to work toward a more structurally balanced budget. Melissa Maze of PFM said this financing plan is strictly a strategy for cash…


Ellwood City Area Historical Society Presents 2026 Scholarships

Four local high school seniors were awarded scholarships by the Ellwood City Area Historical Society on Monday evening. Erica Barlow (Lincoln High School), Christina Valencia (Riverside High School), Kiley LeViere (Lincoln High School), and Lucas Bleakney (Lincoln High School) each received $1,500 scholarships to assist with their continuing education. Barlow and Valencia were awarded Marlene Painter Scholarships for their essays titled, “Why I Want to Be a Teacher.” LeViere and Bleakney received the Robert and Janice Barensfeld Scholarships after submitting essays on “The History of Schools in Ellwood City.” The Robert and Janice Barensfeld Scholarships are endowed by the Barensfeld…


Lincoln Jr/Sr High School Visual Arts Teacher Nominee for ‘America’s Favorite Teacher’

Let’s get out the vote … For Amanda Hatkevich, Lincoln Jr/Sr High School visual arts teacher to be named “America’s Favorite Teacher.” Vote here! (Be sure to cast your vote by April 23) At stake is not only the title, but $25,000 that Hatkevich says she will use part of to help educate the future. “I would invest in diverse art materials, digital tools, and photography equipment,” she said. “Funds would support classroom upgrades like storage, equipment, and outdoor seating for open-air creating. I would also fund visiting artists, field trips to museums, and student exhibitions to connect learning to…