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The Madeira Schools Foundation (MSF) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness and securing resources that enhance the education of students in the Madeira City School District. This volunteer organization comprised of parents, alumni and members of the Madeira community has worked to provide excellent opportunities, facilities, technology, and experiences to Madeira students for over 40 years.

The Foundation’s Distinguished Awards program honors and recognizes alumni, citizens and staff members who have made significant contributions to society, become respectable leaders, and are known as positive role models. This year's recipients were recognized at the their annual luncheon on May 8, 2025. Awards were presented to Scott Blackwelder ‘92 (Distinguished Alumni Award), Bob Kitchen (Distinguished Staff Award), and David Eberly (Friend of the Foundation Award). In addition to being honored at the luncheon, an engraved nameplate for each honoree is permanently affixed to the Distinguished Award Plaque in the main hallway at Madeira High School, and an engraved commemorative paving brick is also placed in the “Walk of Fame” entrance to Romano Court.

MSF also donates upwards of $20,000 annually in scholarships with monies raised by the annual auction, a golf outing, and more to graduating seniors and alumni to continue their education. This year’s scholarship recipients were also honored at the annual luncheon and most were able to meet their donor’s families. This year’s recipients are Daniel Konieczny (Steve Kramer Scholar), Morgan Starr, Natalie Cimpello, Nina Gravlee, Sonia Davis, Elizabeth Cuchra (John D. Rahe Scholars), Tommaso Caggioni  (Russell Emery Scholar), Ella Nugent (Firestone Scholar), Tommaso Caggioni (Adrick Family Scholar), Marissa Jordan (Entrepreneurship Student of the Year), Evan O’Reilly (Patrick Wood Scholar), Emma Prus (Nina Bechtel Knox Scholar), Kate Manzi (Matthew Simpson Art Scholar), Carson Shafer (Vinnie Englert Memorial Scholar), Francie DiMauro (Ed Hopping Memorial Scholar), Garan Smith, Sean Geers (Billie and Tim Yeomans Memorial Scholars), Owen Hilgeman (Wayne Smith Memorial Scholar), Isaac Kuester (William Koehler Family Memorial Scholar), Ava Henry (Bob Westermeyer Memorial Scholar), and Vivian Momper (Chris Flanagan Memorial Scholar).

Scholarship Winners (Not pictured: Natalie Cimpello, Nina Gravlee, Ella Cuchra)  
Distinguished Award Recipients (Pictured l to r: Scott Blackwelder, Bob Kitchen, David Eberly)

At its annual Academic Signing Day on May 6, Madeira High School (MHS) announced the 60 members of its Class of 2025 who have been named Top Seniors – members of the class who will graduate with a 4.0 or above GPA.

The MHS Class of 2025 Top Seniors and their future plans are: Tommaso Caggioni (The Ohio State University), Owen          Dixon (The Ohio State University), Isaac Kuester (The Ohio State University), Samuel McClain (Indiana University/Bloomington), Kate Monnin (University of Cincinnati), Kalley Alexander (University of Cincinnati), Conner Andrews (Purdue University), Addyson Barnes (The Ohio State University), Braden Blackwelder (The Ohio State University), Olivia Bodley (The Ohio State University), Olivia Bowles (Miami University), Emmie Brewer (University of Alabama), Melina Busken (Brigham Young University- Provo), Natalie Cimpello (Florida State University), Anna Cornejo (George Washington University), Elizabeth Cuchra (University of Cincinnati), Sean Cummins (The Ohio State University), Autumn Daley (Aveda Fredric’s Institute), Sonia Davis (University of Louisville), Katie Dickess   (The Ohio State University), Sebastian Feldkamp (University of Cincinnati), Nathan Gemmel (Purdue University), Nina Gravlee (University of Virginia), Molly Grontkowski (University of Cincinnati), Ava Henry (The Ohio State University), Evan Huber (Ohio University), Emerson Huber (The Ohio State University), Kameron Huon (The Ohio State University), William Jenkins (Ohio University), Christian Jennings (University of Cincinnati), Nora Katz (Miami University), Daniel Konieczny (The Ohio State University), Samuel Kyser (University of Tennessee), Jon Miguel Lawrence (University of California-Davis), Catherine LeRoy (The Ohio State University), William Manning (University of Alabama), Katherine Manzi (DePaul University), Lauren Mast (Ithaca College), Kayla Matsudo (Taylor University), Vivian Momper (The Ohio State University), Abigail Naegeli (Miami University), Wesley Nelson (Fordham University), Ella Nugent (The Ohio State University), Evan O'Reilly (The Ohio State University), Alene Otto (Miami University), Sasha Pinyayev (Ohio University), Lance Pollard (University Cincinnati), Emma Prus (The Ohio State University), Selah Reiber (Morehead State University), Cobi Ripberger (University of Cincinnati), Addison Rockwell (University of Kentucky), Eve Schilling (Miami University), Gianna Schueler (Franciscan University of Steubenville), Andrew Seremetis (Miami University), Leah Shults (Miami University), Morgan Starr  (University of Alabama), William Unger (Xavier University), Leo Vahue (The Ohio State University), Anna Wagner (Ohio University), Corinne Westbrook (West Liberty University).

Proposed changes in the Ohio state budget are raising serious concerns for the future of public education across the state, including right here in Madeira. Recent versions of the House and Governor’s budget proposals dramatically shift funding priorities toward private and charter schools—while limiting how public school districts like Madeira can responsibly manage taxpayer-approved local funds.

Under the current House budget proposal that they literally spent 7 days developing, a never-before-seen cap would limit public school districts to holding no more than 30% of their annual budget in cash reserves. For Madeira, which follows a conservative, long-term financial strategy, this would mean being forced to return over $7.2 million in voter-approved funds—jeopardizing financial planning, increasing the frequency of school levies, and reducing the district’s ability to respond to emergencies or plan for facility improvements.

“There’s no cap on private or charter schools who receive public dollars,” said Superintendent Kenji Matsudo. “This unfairly targets public districts and penalizes communities that plan ahead.”

What This Means for Madeira Taxpayers and Students:

·       Loss of Financial Stability: Madeira would be forced to spend down savings and lose the ability to weather
        economic uncertainty.

·       More Frequent Levies: Without reserves, the district would need to ask voters for new funding every 1–2 years.

·       Undermining Voter Voice: Voter-approved levies from the past would effectively be reversed.

·       Staff & Program Risks: Rising costs without flexibility could impact staffing, student services, and facilities.

At the same time, Governor DeWine’s proposal redirects nearly $500 million in state funds to private and charter school vouchers—despite public schools educating 80% of Ohio’s children. Madeira would lose nearly $800,000 in state funding over four years, continuing a long-standing trend of shifting the financial burden to local taxpayers. “They are expecting us to tax ourselves even more while simultaneously telling us how to manage the resources we voted for,” said Matsudo.

The district’s financial model, based on transparent planning and community trust, has helped Madeira maintain excellence without frequent tax increases. This proposal would unravel that model—putting students, staff, and taxpayers at risk.

How You Can Help:
Madeira City Schools encourages families and residents to speak out. Contact your legislators and express your support for fair, equitable school funding and for preserving local control of public education finances.

- Senator Louis Blessing III: lblessing@ohiosenate.gov | (614) 466-8068

- Representative Rachel Baker: rachel.baker@ohiohouse.gov | (614) 644-6886

- Governor Mike DeWine: https://governor.ohio.gov/contact

Bottom Line:
This proposed legislation doesn’t reduce taxes—it shifts costs to local communities and threatens the stability of the public schools that Ohio families rely on. Madeira City Schools will continue to advocate for responsible, student-centered funding policies and protect the long-term investments our residents have made in their schools.

Additional Information: 

State Budget Update

Background & Governor’s Budget Proposal

Madeira High School is excited to announce the hiring of Amy Dyer as the new Head Coach of the Boys Soccer Program. Coach Dyer brings a wealth of experience at both the high school and club levels, along with a deep passion for developing players and building strong, connected teams.

Coach Dyer most recently served as the Head Varsity Boys Soccer Coach at West Clermont High School, where she led the program for seven years. In addition to her coaching role, she is a Physical Education teacher at West Clermont. Throughout her time there, she worked to elevate the program by fostering a positive team culture, managing staff, leading youth outreach initiatives, and overseeing all aspects of team operations.

In the club arena, Coach Dyer has coached with Cincinnati United Premier (CUP), guiding teams to multiple Ohio State Cup titles, a USYS Regional Championship, and appearances at national tournaments. She has also worked closely with college coaches to help players navigate the recruiting process and continue their soccer careers at the next level.

In 2018, Coach Dyer was selected for the United Soccer Coaches “30 Under 30” program—a national initiative supporting and mentoring emerging coaching leaders. She currently serves on the United Soccer Coaches Award Council.

As a former collegiate player at Asbury University, Coach Dyer helped lead her team to two conference championships and participated in both the NCCAA and NAIA national tournaments. Her playing background continues to influence her player-centered approach and commitment to development on and off the field.

“We are thrilled to welcome Coach Dyer to Madeira,” said Chris O’Brien, Madeira City School Athletic Director. “She brings a competitive mindset, a strong sense of culture, and a dedication to developing well-rounded student-athletes. Her vision for the program is an exciting match for our future goals.”

Coach Dyer has met with players and will hold a parent/team meeting to give families the opportunity to connect and learn more about the program’s direction.

After the most recent audit of Madeira City Schools by the Auditor of State’s office, the Madeira City School District earned the Auditor of State Award for managing the district’s funds. Only 13% of the entities audited receive this award.

An ongoing goal of the Madeira School Board is to manage district resources in a cost effective manner. As a group, they research and review all expenses to make sure that the students in Madeira are getting the best education with the most efficient use of their resources.

Caring for those resources is critical to a school district’s success. The Treasurer is the Secretary and the Public Records Officer for the Board of Education, as well as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the district. Madeira City School’s Treasurer/CFO, Emily Hauser, presents monthly financial reports to the Board ofEducation, which are formally approved at each meeting. At the close of the fiscal year, financial reports are prepared and presented for audit. When the State of Ohio Auditor of State has completed reviewing all audit workpapers and financial reports, the Final Audited Financial Reports are published.

The Auditor of State Award is presented to local governments and school districts upon the completion of a successful “clean audit report” with no findings of significant deficiencies or concerns. The report must not contain any findings for recovery, material citations, material weaknesses, significant deficiencies, Single Audit findings or questioned costs. The entity’s management letter cannot contain comments related to ethics referrals, questioned costs less than $10,000, lack of timely report submission, reconciliation, failure to obtain a timely single audit, findings for recovery less than $100, and public meetings or public records.

District Treasurer/CFO Emily Hauser stated, “The Auditor of State’s Award represents the understanding of the importance of following best practices in financial controls. Our district receiving this award is due to the fiscal responsibility of our Board of Education, all our employees, and particularly the Treasurer's office staff."

This is the thirteenth year the Madeira City School District has received this award.

Pictured is Madeira City School's Treasurer/CFO Emily Hauser receiving the district’s Auditor of State Award from Ryan Holiday.