ADAMS TOWNSHIP — Clinton-Massie continues to work toward the prospect of having an on-campus health center and, what’s more, continues to make headway.
Clinton-Massie Superintendent Matt Baker reported to the school board this week that the school district had seven parties interested in the possibility of partnering with Clinton-Massie on what’s officially called a school-based health center (SBHC).
Five of those interested parties came to campus for a tour, and multiple parties asked for additional information. School district officials have whittled it down to two health partner finalists, said Baker.
School-based health centers have emerged over the past 50 years as “a cost-effective service delivery model that improves health care access and outcomes for youth,” according to the professional Journal of Adolescent Health. There are more than 2,500 SBHCs throughout the United States on or near school campuses.
SBHCs provide primary and preventive health care.
The on-campus health center at Clinton-Massie would be open to the community, as well, Baker said.
Federal funds would be used to renovate annex space for the health center — not local tax dollars, said Baker.
The superintendent hopes to recommend a health partner at the July board of education session, if it looks like the costs for having a facility are covered.
The health care provider Baker plans to recommend is ready to sign a two-year lease, Baker told board members.
This momentum for an SBHC on Clinton-Massie’s Lebanon Road campus gained more motion when the school district was recently awarded a $20,000 Clinton County Legacy Fund grant for the school-based health center project.
“It’s a huge win,” said Baker.
The grant funds will pay for the interior components such as exam tables, furniture, desks, cleaning supplies, and so forth, he said.
This sets up a health partner for even more success, said the superintendent.
In applying for a Legacy Fund grant, Clinton-Massie District School Nurse Cindy Stenger put in a generous amount of time and effort, Baker said. She was assisted by Tiffany Penewit and Mariah Moore.
“I’m very excited,” Baker concluded.
In other news, board members favor obtaining a feasibility study and a master site plan for the entire campus grounds, rather than simply a study and site planning for potential improvements to outdoor sports-related fixtures such as bleachers, lighting, a locker room and moving the baseball diamond.
Clinton-Massie Board of Education President Jeremy Lamb suggested it makes sense to have an expert look at the site as a whole and give guidance on how the entire campus-wide grounds need to evolve. One example Lamb gave was the existing location of the bus barn, which helps bring on the mixing of school buses with cars and pedestrians.
Also at the meeting, Southern Ohio Educational Service Center (SOESC) Superintendent Beth Justice presented a video on the organization’s year-in-review. The Wilmington-based center serves a dozen school districts in the region, including all four in Clinton County.
She said the SOESC is always looking for ways to identify the “pain points” for school districts, and then finding creative ways and solutions to relieve those pain points.
The video can be viewed by visiting the home page of www.southernohioesc.org and clicking on the Southern Ohio ESC 2020-2021 Year-in-Review video box.
Reach Gary Huffenberger at 937-556-5768.
