Latest news with #OhioDepartmentofEducationandWorkforce
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Free summer meals available for students in Columbus, central Ohio
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) —This summer, several central Ohio programs will offer free breakfasts, lunches and dinners for students 18 and under. Starting Monday, the Columbus Metropolitan Library, in partnership with Children's Hunger Alliance, will provide meals at 17 locations. 'Ensuring that our young minds have what they need to succeed extends beyond literacy,' library CEO Lauren Hagan said. 'Students can't focus on their schoolwork if they're hungry. We deeply value the Children's Hunger Alliance for their continued commitment and partnership.' CML-Summer-Meals-Flier_2025Download Columbus Recreation and Parks also offers free, nutritionally balanced meals at its community centers and other locations during the summer. Meals are served to anyone between the ages of 1 and 18, and anyone aged 18 to 21 who has been determined by a state or local public educational agency to be mentally or physically disabled and involved in an independent education program. Families in need can call 866-3-HUNGRY (Español: 877-8-HAMBRE) or text 914-342-7744 with a question that contains a keyword such as 'food,' 'summer,' 'meals,' etc. and receive a text back that will show free meal sites closest to them. Information can be downloaded in English, Spanish and Somali. Visit the website for a map of locations. In addition, Pickerington Local Schools will be serving healthy meals during summer break for children 18 and under. The lunch schedule begins on Monday, June 2, and runs through June 30. No-cost lunches will be available at Tussing Elementary School, 7117 Tussing Road, Mondays through Fridays, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. No registration is required, making it a hassle-free experience. 'This program is about ensuring kids have access to nutritious meals even when school isn't in session,' Pickerington Food Service Supervisor Suzie Gerhardt said. 'We encourage families to take advantage of this opportunity.' Parents or guardians seeking more information can call PLSD at 614-833-3645, office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., or visit the PLSD website. SUN Meals, a statewide summer food program sponsored by the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, is available to children ages 1 through 18 and individuals ages 19 through 21 identified as having mental or physical disabilities and following Individualized Education Programs. Free meals will be served during the summer months at participating program sites. Information is available by calling 1-866-348-6479 or visiting the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Mutiple local schools receive Purple Star Award for supporting military families
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) – Several local schools were honored with a Purple Star Award recognizing them for their support of military families. Ohio Department of Education and Workforce Director Stephen D. Dackin and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced over 360 schools earned the award on Wednesday, April 16. Schools qualify by completing all the Purple Star Advisory Board required activities and a bonus activity. The school must have an on-staff Military Family Liaison who acts as a point of contact between military families and the school. As for bonus activities, the school can choose between multiple options. A military event that is separate from Veterans Day. A system to identify children who are in military families, but not necessarily because of military parents. (Children with siblings in service.) Host month of the Military Child activities in April. KinderCare offers free day of care for military families 'The Purple Star program is a wonderful way to showcase the many schools in Ohio that are going above and beyond to support their military communities,' said DeWine. 'Year after year, our Purple Star schools put in the time and effort to make sure military-connected students have the support they need to thrive.' Schools are able to renew their awards every three years. Currently there are over 700 active Purple Star schools in Ohio. 'These schools and their staff do incredible work connecting our state's military families with resources to help them be successful, both in school and in their service to our state and country,' said Dackin. 'I applaud their dedication to this important work.' Annual 5K Furry Skurry to benefit local pets in Miami Valley Miami Valley schools earning the designation: Archbishop Carroll High School – Archdiocese of Cincinnati Bellbrook High School – Bellbrook-Sugarcreek Schools Brantwood Elementary School – Mad River Local Schools Brookville Elementary School – Brookville Local Schools Brookville Intermediate School – Brookville Local Schools Centerville High School – Centerville City Schools Centerville Primary Village North – Centerville City Schools Charles Huber Elementary School – Huber Heights City Schools Dayton Regional STEM School – STEM School Fairmont High School – Kettering City Schools Five Points Elementary School – Springboro Community City Schools Hillel Academy of Greater Dayton Kinder Intermediate School – Miamisburg City Schools Miamisburg High School – Miamisburg City Schools Perry High School – Perry Local Schools To view the full list of Ohio schools that have earned the award, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Dozen local school districts honored for supporting military students and families
(WKBN) – Over 360 schools in Ohio, including several in the Valley, have received a Purple Star designation this year. Crestview High School Leetonia Exempted Village School District: Leetonia Elementary and Jr./Sr. High School NEW: Austintown Fitch High School Canfield Local School District: C.H. Campbell Elementary, Hilltop Elementary, Canfield Village Middle School, Canfield High School Jackson-Milton Elementary School Sebring Local School District: B.L. Miller Elementary, McKinley Junior Senior High School West Branch High School NEW: Brookfield High School NEW: Howland High School Newton Falls Exempted Village Schools: Newton Falls Elementary (NEW), Middle (NEW) and Jr./Sr. High School Southington Elementary School Trumbull Career & Technical Center The honor is given to schools that demonstrate a significant commitment to serving students and families connected to the nation's armed forces. The designation is valid for three years. '[The Purple Star program is] another example of how Ohio is a leader in caring for our military families. Year after year, our Purple Star schools put in the time and effort to make sure military-connected students have the support they need to thrive,' said Ohio Governor Mike DeWine. To qualify, schools must designate a staff member to serve as a liaison to military families. Schools must also participate in at least one supportive activity each year. Some of these schools host monthly military kids club meetings, provide professional learning for educators on the needs of military students, implement peer-to-peer transition programs, or organize celebrations to honor military students and families. 'These schools and their staff do incredible work connecting our state's military families with resources to help them be successful, both in school and in their service to our state and country,' said Stephen D. Dackin, director of the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. There are now 700 active Purple Star schools in the state. You can view the entire list of Purple Star schools on the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce's website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ohio bill would block schools from using trans students' preferred names, pronouns without parent consent
Apr. 3—A new Ohio House bill would require parental permission before public schools could begin addressing students by any name or pronouns that don't correspond to their birth certificate or biological sex. The proposed House Bill 190 is jointly-sponsored by Rep. Johnathan Newman, a Republican pastor from Troy who told this outlet that he's hoping to crack down on schools "socially transitioning" students. "This bill seeks to say that employees at school cannot use a name other than the child's given name on their birth certificate that aligns with their sex at birth," said Newman, who now has several bills aimed at expanding parental rights. "A name like that can't be used unless the parents agree and give permission, written permission, that they're aware of it and they condone their child transitioning." The bill goes further than just regulating teachers' ability to use a child's preferred name. As proposed, it would also: — Prohibit addressing a student by any name other than their given name or a derivative thereof without parental consent; — Prohibit addressing a student by "a pronoun or title that is inconsistent with the student's biological sex" without parental consent; — Block faculty or contractors from informing students about their own preferred pronouns or titles if they are "inconsistent with the employee's or contractor's biological sex;" — Bar faculty or school contractors from asking students for their preferred pronouns or names; — Bar faculty or school contractors from penalizing a student for failing to respond to a request for preferred name or pronoun; — Require faculty and school contractors to report any students' request to be addressed by a preferred pronoun or name to the school administrator, who is then required to report that request to the student's parents. H.B. 190 would also set up a parental complaint system with the state if they believe school faculty have been using different pronouns or names for their child without their consent. Under the bill, that complaint would prompt a investigation from the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce into the alleged incident, which Newman said could involve parents, faculty or the students themselves. Asked if he had reservations about a student potentially being swept into a state investigation, Newman said it was "a great concern." "But the greater concern is that this would happen to a student (without parental consent)," Newman said. Under the bill, if the state determines a school or employee violated the law, the state would be required to "withhold ten per cent of the school's state foundation aid ... each month until such time that the school is confirmed by the director to be in compliance with this section," H.B. 190 reads. "We're not trying to hurt the schools, we're not trying to take funding from the schools," said Newman. "But it's enough, it's a message, that this is a serious matter that parents take seriously." The bill has not yet had a hearing in the Ohio House Education Committee, but leading public school lobbying organization the Ohio Education Association told this outlet that it flatly opposes the bill. "House Bill 190 does nothing to support Ohio's public school students or to address any of the real issues facing our schools," OEA President Scott DiMauro said in a statement. "The Ohio Education Association urges lawmakers to reject this latest attempt to distract and divide Ohioans, so they can focus on the important work of ensuring our students have the resources and funding they actually need to succeed." Dara Adkison, who serves as the executive director of an advocacy group called TransOhio, called the bill "bad legislation" in an interview with this outlet. "(H.B.) 190 is going to ask teachers and staff to misgender trans students — and if they themselves are transgender, ask them to misgender themselves — all at the risk of losing a percentage of state funding," Adkison said. Adkison denied the notion that schools are "socially transitioning" students. They argued H.B. 190 would damage teacher-student relationships, which are "based off of trust and acceptance to help garner and foster (a student's) ability to receive an education." Ultimately, Adkison framed H.B. 190 as another legislative attempt to remove transgender Ohioans from public spaces. "That is unabashedly the goal," Adkison said. "We have seen our legislatures and public spaces talk about how they would like it if trans people did not exist at all." When this outlet asked Newman if he thought K-12 students were capable of determining if they truly wanted to be called by a different name or different pronouns without their parents' consent, he denied that anyone could be transgender and called it a case of "confusion." "I don't think there is such a thing as transgender," Newman said. "That's not reality. A boy never, ever becomes a girl. A girl never, ever becomes a boy. That's not reality. That cannot happen." Newman told this outlet that H.B. 190 would actually help students, if it became law. "We want to see children who have confusion like this, we want to see them get the help that they really need to address the confusion," Newman said. "I think the message is affirming the confusion is the wrong direction. We want to see them get the help they need to address the confusion." Newman's views are antithetical to those held by an array of leading medical organizations, including the American Medical Association. In 2024, the American Psychological Association published a resolution that criticized states' attempts to take away access to gender-affirming care. ------ For more stories like this, sign up for our Ohio Politics newsletter. It's free, curated, and delivered straight to your inbox every Thursday evening. Avery Kreemer can be reached at 614-981-1422, on X, via email, or you can drop him a comment/tip with the survey below.
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ohio Republicans celebrate Trump's executive order to get rid of the Department of Education
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine gives the State of the State address in the Ohio House chambers at the Ohio Statehouse on Wednesday, March 12, 2025 in Columbus, Ohio. Ohio Republicans praised President Donald Trump's executive order to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine joined other Republican governors in attending Trump's signing of the executive order Thursday afternoon at the White House. The executive order does not automatically close the department since eliminating a federal agency requires congressional approval. 'I joined President Trump and several fellow governors at the White House in support of the president's proposal to return education back to the states,' DeWine said in a statement posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. 'By giving states more authority over education, we will have the flexibility to focus our effort on tailoring an educational experience that is best for our children and meets Ohio's needs, rather than trying to chase federal priorities.' The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce said the department agrees with DeWine's statement, said ODEW spokesperson Lacey Snoke. DEW agrees with Governor DeWine's statement following yesterday's announcement. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Ohio Senate President Rob McColley, R-Napoleon, said Trump's executive order is long overdue. 'Education policy belongs in the states and the federal government's 'one size fits all' meddling has hurt our country for decades,' McColley said in a statement. 'President Trump's order will allow our 50 laboratories of democracy to deliver innovative solutions that meet each state's unique needs.' The Department of Education was established as a cabinet-level agency by Congress in 1979 under President Jimmy Carter and it doesn't determine what is taught in schools. Instead, learning standards are set at the state level and curriculum is adopted by local school boards. The department allocates Title I funds, which are federal funds given to school districts with a high percentage of low-income students, and administers the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), a law guaranteeing a free public education for children with disabilities. Ohio school districts on average receive about 10% of their revenue from the federal government, Ohio Education Association President Scott DiMauro said. About 90% of Ohio students attended public school during the 2023-24 school year, according to the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. 'Every single student in Ohio will pay the price for the move to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education,' DiMauro said in a statement. 'Any measures to stop the vital work of Department employees to serve Ohio's students or to reduce federal education funding will cause terrible harm to our students, our state, and our future.' About 16% of Ohio public school students had a disability during the 2023-24 school year, according to the Ohio education department. 'Anyone who cares for a child who has struggled in school because of a disability or had to advocate for access to school services or opportunities should be concerned with the actions of the federal and state governments, regardless of political affiliation or how one voted in the last election,' Policy Matters Ohio Executive Director Hannah Halbert said in a statement. Abolishing the Department of Education will mean chaos and uncertainty for Ohio schools, Ohio Federation of Teachers President Melissa Cropper said. 'The need for federal funding and support for public education will be even more critical if our upcoming state budget cuts school funding, as Governor DeWine's own budget proposal does with $103 million in cuts to public school districts,' she said in a statement. The department announced earlier this month that about half of its staff was going to be laid off as part of the department's 'final mission.' Follow Capital Journal Reporter Megan Henry on Bluesky. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
