A message from our school district's CFO/Treasurer Mrs. Cathy Schuller that appeared in The Knights' Ledger portion of the September 2026 Knights in the Know:
Our school district is excited to now offer breakfast to all of our students in the elementary, middle, and high schools for $2.00. Providing convenient access to a nutritious, balanced morning meal ensures our students arrive in their classrooms focused, energized, and prepared to achieve academic excellence.
We also want to encourage families eligible for free and reduced-cost meals to participate in the USDA's National School Lunch and Breakfast Program (NSLP). This federal program is meant to be used, and we want to assure you that having families participate in it does not negatively impact the finances of our district. On the contrary, student participation directly strengthens our school community. When one of our students in the NSLP receives a free/reduced breakfast or lunch, our school district is reimbursed, bringing essential funds back to our food service department while ensuring every child receives proper nutrition. Students receiving a free/reduced lunch can also receive a free/reduced breakfast on the same day throughout the entire school year. We want to encourage students in the program to eat a breakfast and lunch daily.
Increased participation in the pilot breakfast program assists the food service department in maintaining a balanced budget. We want to serve students and their families by contributing to the development of our students' physical, emotional, social, and intellectual well-being, and the NSLP is just one tool helping us achieve that goal.
Applications for the National School Lunch and Breakfast Program are completely confidential and may be submitted at any time of the school year if a family’s financial situation changes due to job loss, medical expenses, changes in household size, or any other qualifying circumstance. Student confidentiality is maintained by having NSLP students use the exact same PIN system as paying students, so no one knows who is or isn’t part of the program.
Families can apply for NSLP at PaySchoolsCentral.com. Anyone needing assistance with the application for any reason, including identifying a student’s ID number, can contact Mrs. Chelsea Griffith, food service supervisor, at cgriffith@vbschools.net or 419-299-3578 x240.
Click to learn more about our breakfast program.
Click to access breakfast and lunch menus.
Homecoming week has finally arrived, and we are excited to celebrate our school spirit, traditions, and students all week long.
Congratulations to the 2026 Homecoming Court, which includes Kayla Bowman, Jordan Patton, Ellie Scoles, Brooklyn Wilkin, Lilli Wilson, Brayden Howard, Trace Kisseberth, Talan Konwiczka, Zane Marquette, and Jake Schroeder! 👑
Mark your calendars to come out to support our students at this week's homecoming events:
🏈 Powderpuff Game: Tuesday at 7:00 P.M.
👑 Coronation Ceremony: Friday at 6:00 P.M.
🏈 Homecoming Football Game Kickoff: Friday at 7:00 P.M.
Bring your school spirit, cheer loudly, and let’s make some great memories together! 🖤🧡
Students from every grade level loved showing off our school and jumping into fun games alongside their guests. Watching all ages play, connect, and enjoy quality time together in our school was one of the highlights of our week.
With building connections as a cornerstone of our district mission, today’s event was a reminder of how strong our Black Knight community is when generations come together.
Thank you to the grandparents and VIPs who spent a portion of their day with us and made unforgettable memories with our students. We appreciate you!
Van Buren has been a CORAS member since the 2024-2025 school year, and there are more than 150 districts across 46 Ohio counties participating in the coalition.
Superintendent Dr. Jason Inkrott is one of the coalition’s six board members led by Executive Director Dr. Richard Murray.
In addition to superintendents from around Northwest Ohio, other participants in the meeting included former Ohio Senator Mr. Randy Gardner, President of the State Board of Education Mr. Paul LaRue, and Ohio State Superintendent of Public Education Dr. Philip Wagner.
We are proud that our district is playing a role in advocating for our students and those around the state!
Did you forget to purchase a yearbook either of the last two years? If so, you’re in luck! HS/MS (Knight) and elementary (Squire) editions are both available for the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 school years.
When purchasing, please make checks out to Van Buren Local Schools and direct payment and questions to Ms. Chelsea Burden, yearbook advisor, in Room 231 or 419-299-3384 x415.
To learn more about this award, read the story on our website: https://www.vbschools.net/article/3130178.
We have had some action-packed days across the Van Buren Local School District recently as our students honored history, built connections, and fueled up for success! 🧡🖤
Honoring & Remembering - On Friday, elementary librarian Mrs. Tammy Routson and the Flag Committee teamed up with Mrs. Brooke Forsyth’s fifth grade and Mrs. Molly Heitkamp’s fourth grade classes to place flags in remembrance of 9/11. School Resource Officer Deputy Crouch joined our fourth graders to share meaningful insights about the day, while Roman and Ariah Sumney led the placement of the flags. A huge thank you to the Sumney family for their dedicated support of this tradition for the past five years!
Building Middle School Connections - Our middle schoolers spent Friday participating in their annual Welcome Back Day. Students reconnected with classmates and formed new friendships through spirited team-building challenges and Minute-to-Win-It events designed to strengthen our school community.
Fueling Up for Success - This morning, we officially launched our new district breakfast service in both the elementary and MS/HS cafeterias to give our students access to nutritious food to start their days and set them up for academic excellence. Learn more at https://www.vbschools.net/article/3122833.
Thank you to our dedicated staff, students, and community partners who help our Black Knights grow into respectful, responsible, and resilient leaders every day! 🧡🖤
"As the second week of the school year begins, we want to give you an update on the actions we have taken to continue making progress toward our goal of building thinkers, connections, and experiences in our schools every day."
To learn more about our vision for academic growth and opportunities in 2026-2027, read the latest "Knight Insight with Dr. Inkrott" - https://www.vbschools.net/article/3123690.
To learn more about the breakfast program, visit https://www.vbschools.net/article/3122833.
Our hallways were full of energy as students reconnected and jumped right back into the learning groove through engaging, hands-on activities. Among those activities were Mrs. Jen Obenour’s sixth graders opening advice cards last year’s students wrote to them, Mr. Adam Schumaker's high school chemistry students experiencing a look at science in action, and Mrs. Stephanie Spridgeon's fifth graders learning the value of teamwork.
From day one, we're focused on building thinkers, experiences, and connections while guiding our students to be respectful, responsible, and resilient every step of the way.
Swipe through to check out a few of our favorite snapshots from around the district today, and we look forward to seeing everyone again tomorrow! 📸
Whether you are looking to relive your favorite memories, spot your friends at past events, or complete your collection, we have extra copies in stock while supplies last.
See the graphic for availability and prices, and if there is a year you want that isn’t listed, ask to see if it is available.
If you have questions or want to make a purchase, please email the yearbook advisor, Ms. Chelsea Burden, at cburden@vbschools.net.
