Hamilton City board hears Miami School update emphasizing credit recovery, wraparound supports

Assistant Principal Kelly Lynch presented an update on the Miami School to the Hamilton City School District Board of Education on April 25, describing the alternative program’s structure and supports for credit‑deficient and newcomer high‑school students.

Lynch told the board Miami School runs two half‑day sessions, each about three hours long, with students focused on two classes at a time and courses rotating every six weeks. “We are a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment,” she said, and staff work to meet students’ basic needs before academic work. Lynch said food service provides two meals for students in each session and staff sometimes provide mobile hot spots to support at‑home work.

The presentation detailed a blended‑learning model combining short teacher mini‑lessons with online curriculum (Imagine Learning/Edgenuity), in‑person instruction, and required at‑home learning that staff track for attendance under House Bill 410 attendance rules. Lynch said Miami School also offers an ELL newcomer program, four intervention specialists for special education, a student and family support specialist (a district‑employed licensed social worker), and a safe‑and‑secure monitor who lets the school offer in‑school suspension instead of removing students.

Why it matters: Board members praised the program’s focus on keeping students in school and providing individualized supports. “We’re not giving up on these students,” Vice President Mr. Davidson told Lynch. Board member Mr. Sprague said the program’s supports — from case management to transportation training — are “incredible” and noted positive results when students engage with district services.

Staff examples and outcomes: Intervention specialist Katie Maccabee said she has 29 students on her caseload of “super seniors” (17‑ and 18‑year‑olds who are chronically credit deficient). She reported five graduates already and five more expected to complete requirements in the next two weeks from her caseload of 29. Lynch said the Miami School has had roughly 46 graduates so far this school year, and that more than half of graduates cite staff as their favorite aspect of the program.

Sarah Chavez Medina, the building’s native‑language support specialist and a Miami School graduate, described returning as staff to support ELL newcomers and students with limited prior schooling. “I really loved it there and it helped me be successful,” she said. Chavez Medina said she helps students access community resources, make appointments with Primary Health Solutions, and learn computer and English‑language skills.

Board discussion and district connections: Board members asked about monitoring at‑home online work. Lynch and other staff said they use Edgenuity logs to track login times, active work time and idle time; staff can show specific timestamps and idle durations and use that information to keep students on the roster. The district works with the truancy office on home visits when students stop engaging. Lynch also described coordination with the Butler County Regional Transit Authority to teach students to ride the bus; she said BCRT offers free rides and the school is planning a transit field trip to teach students to use public transportation.

Staffing and program changes: Lynch credited recent staffing additions — a second clerical staffer, a safe‑and‑secure monitor, and the district’s first secondary student and family support specialist — with improving the school’s ability to keep students in class and address mental‑health and family needs without relying exclusively on community behavioral‑health onboarding.

The board thanked Lynch, Maccabee and Chavez Medina; members asked Lynch to return next year with additional details on operations and outcomes.