Montgomery County ESC superintendent Shannon Cox said the awards came about because the Montgomery County Alcohol, Drug, Addiction and Mental Health Services Board approached the ESC about getting more money for prevention into school districts.
“It was all about making certain that the school districts had access to dollars that could help support and enhance,” Cox said.
She noted that in some cases, school buildings were already doing some great prevention work. But the dollars incentivized districts to do even more.
The awards are tiered by bronze, silver, gold and platinum levels. In the 2019-2020 school year, the first year of the awards, one school received platinum status. In the 2023-2024 school year, 58 schools received platinum recognition, Cox said.
“Twelve years ago, the ESC was the only school district that actually provided school-based mental therapy, and now all of you do,” Cox said. “So we’ve just changed the way we do schooling, because the children that we are schooling have changed.”
Jessica Davies, the ESC director of Social Emotional Learning Services, said when the program started, schools cared about helping kids more than the awards and recognition.
Davies noted social-emotional learning and trauma-informed care are two ways that help kids prevent mental health issues later in life.
“If you strengthen the protective factors and decrease risk factors, you will be less likely to have a mental illness or a substance use disorder,” Davies said. “I do not need to tell you how important that is.”
The local schools and their awards are as listed:
Brookville Local Schools
- Brookville Elementary: Platinum
- Brookville Intermediate School: Platinum
- Brookville High School: Platinum
Centerville City Schools
- Cline Elementary: Platinum
- Driscoll Elementary: Platinum
- John Hole Elementary: Platinum
- Normandy Elementary: Platinum
- Primary Village North: Platinum
- Primary Village South: Platinum
- Stingley Elementary: Platinum
- Weller Elementary: Platinum
Dayton Leadership Academy: Platinum
Dayton Public Schools
- Mound Street Academy:Silver
Kettering City Schools
- Beavertown Elementary: Platinum
- Fairmont High School: Platinum
- Greenmont Elementary: Platinum
- Indian Riffle Elementary: Platinum
- JFK Elementary: Platinum
- Kettering Middle School: Platinum
- Oakview Elementary: Platinum
- Orchard Park Elementary: Platinum
- Prass Elementary: Platinum
- Southdale Elementary: Platinum
- Van Buren Middle School: Platinum
Mad River Local Schools
- Beverly Gardens Elementary: Platinum
- Brantwood Elementary: Platinum
- Mad River Middle School: Platinum
- Saville Elementary School: Platinum
- Spinning Hills Middle School: Platinum
- Stebbins High School: Platinum
- Virginia Stevenson Elementary: Platinum
Miamisburg City Schools
- Bauer Elementary School: Platinum
- Bear Elementary School: Platinum
- Kinder Elementary School: Platinum
- Maddux Lange Primary: Silver
- Mark Twain Elementary: Platinum
- Medlar View Elementary: Platinum
- Miamisburg Middle School:Gold
- Mound Elementary School: Silver
Montgomery County ESC
- Learning Center North: Gold
- Learning Center West: Bronze
Montgomery County Juvenile Court
- Center for Adolescent Services: Platinum
- Juvenile Detention Center: Platinum
- Nicholas Residential Center: Platinum
New Lebanon Local Schools
- Dixie Elementary School: Platinum
- Dixie Middle School: Platinum
- Dixie High School: Platinum
Northmont City Schools
- Kleptz Early Learning Center: Platinum
- Northmont Middle School: Platinum
- Northmont High School: Platinum
- Northwood Elementary School: Platinum
- Union Elementary School: Platinum
Northridge Local Schools
- Northridge Elementary School: Gold
Oakwood City Schools
- Harman School: Platinum
- Lange School: Platinum
- Oakwood Junior High School: Platinum
- Oakwood High School: Platinum
- Smith Elementary School: Platinum
Pathway School of Discovery: Silver
Trotwood-Madison City Schools
- Madison Park Elementary: Platinum
Valley View Local Schools
- Valley View Primary School: Platinum
- Valley View Intermediate School: Platinum
- Valley View Junior High School: Platinum
- Valley View High School: Platinum
West Carrollton City Schools
- Harry Russell Elementary: Platinum
- Harold Schnell Elementary: Platinum
- West Carrollton Middle School: Silver
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