By Sue Kiesewetter
Enquirer contributor

FAIRFIELD - It was more of a pep rally than a state-of-the-schools address at Fairfield High School's Performing Arts Center.

From footballs flying through the air to a rousing rendition of the school's fight song, hundreds of residents joined educators, students and alumni Wednesday to celebrate the 9,500-student district and its students' accomplishments.

"It's my job to get the crowd loud and pumped up,'' said Jordan Kessler, the high school's senior class president, who doubles as the Indian mascot.

After tossing the footballs to different sections of the auditorium - with pennant-like banners identifying schools - Kessler talked about the district's lack of inflationary growth in revenue.

It followed Treasurer Scott Gooding's message that the district was facing a $3 million deficit in the upcoming school year. Although voters have approved 54 mills of funding for the schools, the schools were only collecting 28 mills because of legislation that doesn't allow for inflationary growth.

Students made academic gains. Superintendent Robert Farrell spoke of last year's 94.3 percent graduation rate - the highest the district has ever achieved.

And he told the crowd the district was rated effective on the state report card for the second consecutive year despite the rating system being "a moving target."

"We believe that every child can succeed and we're heading for a perfect report card,'' Farrell said.

He noted that 97 percent of the seniors had passed the ninth-grade proficiency test - the highest percentage of Butler County's 10 school districts. Nearly three-fourths - the state's benchmark - of third- and fourth-graders passed last fall's reading proficiency test, putting Fairfield second in the county.

Eric Cimini told of a passion with lights and electricity that led him to the drama department and eventually to the University of Cincinnati's College Conservatory of Music, where he was one of five freshmen admitted to the theater design and production program in 2001.

It all started, he said, "when in my first letter to Santa Claus I asked for an orange extension cord."

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