Focus 1: Student Services & Supports
Educating students is everyone’s business. Research shows that caring for the whole child yields positive outcomes for students and their families, district staff, and the community. That's why we involve the community, including local nonprofits, businesses, faith-based organizations, and other service providers surrounding the framework to represent the various assets that impact all our children, families, and schools.
Together, schools, families, and community partners can provide the conditions essential for children to learn, thrive, and achieve their greatest potential.
See below for some highlights related to student services and supports from the 2022-23 school year.
Health Services to Students, Families, and Staff Through School Based Health Centers (SBHC)
According to studies completed by Harvard and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, School-Based Health Centers are associated with improved healthcare outcomes such as:
-
Reductions student out of class time
-
Drop in absence rates
-
Fewer emergency room visits
-
Improved mental health & well-being
-
Increased grade point average
-
Increased graduation rates
-
Increased student, staff, family engagement
-
Decreased drop out rates
-
Reductions in suspensions and expulsions
-
Reduced staff illnesses (fewer subs)
-
Decreased time away from work for caregivers
-
Increased connectedness to other community resources
-
Increased trust in the healthcare system, long-term
-
Improved physical health today and tomorrow!
Given all these positive outcomes and the fact that equitable access to healthcare is a real issue for TPS students, the district has partnered with community organizations to build financially sustainable, student-centered, full-time, school-based health centers. TPS now offers comprehensive health care centers, telehealth services as well as mobile dental and vision screening services, and pharmacy delivery access to students, their families, and staff. TPS comprehensive health care centers provide acute care, chronic disease management, sports physicals, immunizations, mental and behavioral health supports and screenings, and collaborative referrals to our partners.
More on SBHCs
TPS has six comprehensive SBHCs at Start, Bowsher, Rogers, Scott, Woodward, and Waite. Each SBHC is fully staffed each day from 7:30 to 4:00 p.m., with a Nurse practitioner, medical technician or LPN, center receptionist and a licensed behavioral health specialist.
Health Services at TPS is actively involved the the Healthy Lucas County Coalition to improve health care access and equity throughout Lucas County.
The district received funds to support these services:
$760,639 To build a new school-based health center or expand an existing school-based health center, in partnership with a health entity awarded through the Ohio Dept of Health.
$500,000 from Landman-Goldman Foundation to purchase a dental and vision van and supplies.
2022-23 Outcomes
7,587 Patients
13,165
Medical Visits
Sick visits, physicals, wellness checks, & vaccines
6,425
Dental Care Visits
7,033
Behavioral Health Visits
1,230
Vision Service Visits
749
Pairs of Glasses
54
TPS has 54 nurses currently serving the district, all of which, are RNs with ODE credentials, as either registered with ODE or as licensed school nurses.
4,266
District nurses provide care to over 4,266 students with diagnosed chronic health conditions, e.g. diabetes, seizure disorder, severe allergies and asthma.
16
There are 16 health service paraprofessionals supporting TPS students with medical needs.
TPS Provides 14,000 weekend
food bags for students
TPS counselors distributed weekend food bags in partnership with The Islamic Food Bank of Toledo. Over the school year, that totaled more than 14,000 food bags.
Read more from this 13ABC story.
In 20XX? Toledo Public School transformed six schools into community hubs. A community hub is a school that centralizes access to resources so that they are accessible to the local community. The Hub collaborates with community partners and services that respond to local priorities, as determined by students, families, staff, and residents of the surrounding neighborhoods. Hubs believe in engaging and strengthening the broad community so that our students, families, and neighborhoods can thrive.
Hubs have a range of services tailored to the unique assets and needs of students, families, and community residents. There is an integrated focus on health and wellness, academic success, and family and community engagement. Schools as Community Hubs is the Toledo version of the national community schools strategy- a proven effective effort to transform schools and communities.
Aligning Resources to Create Change
• Enhanced family, school, and community connectedness
• Strengthened school climate and culture
• Improved academic performance
• Healthier and safer communities
• Increased social mobility
TPS Supports the Community Through the Family Housing and Family Stability Program
During the 2022-23 school year, the TPS Families Stabilization Program helped to stabilize a total of 482 children, with 396 of them being school-aged. Participants were offered free financial counseling services where they were able to learn how to budget their income, develop savings plans, learn about their credit reports, and help with finding employment. Other services offered included mental health counseling and access to food and a personal needs pantry.
Individuals were also referred to other agencies for additional services such as access to food pantries, furniture referrals through Epworth, Salvation Army Christmas Assistance, Catholic Charities Opportunity Kitchen, employment referrals and employment trainings available through Cherry Street Mission and Owens, and more.
Financial support for this program comes from a variety of organizations such as Toledo Edison, and Columbus Gas. Other support comes from the Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP) and Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) programs administered by the Ohio Department of Development.
When you see a student or family in need when it comes to transportation, food, housing, clothing, hygiene items, school supplies, mental health supports, or other additional resources, please contact TPS.
Read more from this 13ABC story.
During the 2022-23 school year,
more than 1,600
TPS students faced homelessness or housing insecurity.
Ensuring Student Safety: TPS Introduces Anonymous Tip Line
The Safer Ohio School Tip Line is a free safety resource available to all Ohio schools and is provided by the Ohio School Safety Center in partnership with the Ohio Department of Education (ODE).
The tip line is designed for students and adults to anonymously share information on incidents such as bullying; hazing; withdrawn student behaviors; gang-related activities; verbal or written threats observed toward students, faculty or schools; weapon/suspicious devices on or near school grounds; unusual/suspicious behavior of students or staff; self-harm or suicidal sentiments; and any other school safety-related concerns.
The tip line accepts both calls and texts 24 hours a day. Tips will be forwarded to the appropriate school teams and/or law enforcement agencies for investigation. Any information collected through the anonymous tip line is NOT subject to public records laws.
TPS prioritizes student and community safety and asks everyone to Speak Up and Save Lives!
Call or text anonymous tips or safety concerns to the statewide hotline (844)-SAFEOH or (844)723-3764