Barberton’s 28,000 residents have their priorities straight—in this city, the school system ranks at the top of the list for funding and support. Six elementary schools (K-5), two middle schools (6-8) and a newly constructed $35 million high school cater to learners’ needs. The local papers are full of good news about our students, from the fourth and fifth grade brain teams that made national competition rounds in 2001 (one aspect of the competition requires student teams to choose an anonymous work of art, research it, write a skit to show how it came to be anonymous and then stage the drama) to Beacon Journal Star Student winners.

Recreation is an art to Barberton residents. Our city hosts 11 annual festivals, drawing visitors from across the Midwest. Mum Fest Arts and Crafts Festival and the Friday night summer concert series—all free—in particular please those who appreciate the city’s magic. Lake Anna, conveniently situated near the heart of the city, becomes a natural gathering place for families in every season, for every reason.

Totaled, the city supports 14 community parks, a community center and a senior center. And after a day at any of these play spots, families have made a tradition of stopping at one of Barberton’s privately owned restaurants for mouth-watering meals.

Much of Barberton’s business draw in the past decade has been with entrepreneurs in the light industrial, commercial, and hi-tech arenas. They like the municipal water and sanitary sewer systems, coupled with reliable electricity service by Ohio Edison, gas from East Ohio Gas Co. and telephone from Ameritech.

A mayor and city council oversee the city’s growth, while police and fire departments hire 45 full-time professionals each to cover these civic needs. ‘

Did You Know?

Barberton has a second nickname: Chicken Capital of the World. We earned this label when visitors fell in love with our restaurants’ chicken dishes. Barberton chefs serve up 7,500 tons of poultry each week.

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