Special to 1812Blockhouse
The Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center in Mansfield has welcomed the Mt. Gilead School District as a member district.
The Mid-Ohio ESC Board of Governors voted unanimously to accept their petition of membership at their regular meeting on May 19th. Mt. Gilead’s membership will commence on July 1, 2021.
Board President Dick Prater said, “On behalf of the Mid-Ohio ESC Board of Governors, I can say that we are thrilled to partner with Mt. Gilead Schools and welcome them to the Mid-Ohio family. We look forward to providing our comprehensive educational services for staff and students that will meet or exceed their expectations. We also hope they will share their best practices and success stories to make our network of districts even stronger as we move closer to the post-COVID era.”
Mt. Gilead was previously a member of the North Central Ohio Educational Service Center, with offices in Tiffin and Marion, so proximity to the district was a factor. Larry Zimmerman, Interim Superintendent at Mt. Gilead Schools since December 2019, said, “As a veteran superintendent, I recognized that Mt. Gilead Schools could perhaps benefit more from membership in an Educational Service Center in our geographic area.”
However, Zimmerman explained the district did not make a snap decision because they knew the partnership needed to be a good fit, and they needed to include incoming Superintendent Dr. Zack Howard. “[We] started a study which Dr. Howard became a part of after he was hired and determined that the services being offered at Mid-Ohio ESC were the best match for the long term benefit of the Mt. Gilead Schools.”
Dr. Howard shared that he is excited to work with the leadership at Mid-Ohio ESC and other member districts. “We are looking forward to sharing ideas and addressing common challenges to create the best learning environment possible for our Mt. Gilead students.”
