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Through what must have been disappointment at the results of last week's levy renewal vote for Belpre City Schools, Superintendent Jeffrey Greenley at least knew other resources were being explored. Along with Nationwide Children's Hospital and Washington County Department of Jobs and Family Services, Belpre City Schools is working on an application to the Appalachian Community Innovation Centers Grant Program.
The plan? The partners want to build a K-12 education space, health clinic and satellite office for WCDJFS using some of the $85 million Ohio has made available for new construction or renovation projects for facilities and campuses that combine K-12 public education with a healthcare provider to deliver either physical and/or behavioral health services onsite to students and the public, and providing community access to job-related programming and resources, with internet access providing work search capabilities.
"Belpre has actually asked 10 times for levy money to build or renovate our schools and have been unsuccessful," Greenley said, before he knew the renewal had been rejected, too. He and other Belpre City Schools officials are to be commended for not giving up, AND for being realistic enough to seek out other means to support our educational and community health goals.
WCDJFS Director Flite Freimann said he wants the people of Washington County to know "their leadership...is thinking ahead to bring resources into the county."
It sounds as though those leaders are determined to find a way -- for our kids and for all of us, no matter what.