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North Ridgeville presentation says Student Wellness and Success funds are used entirely for mental‑health services and youth programs
Summary
District presenters told the North Ridgeville Board of Education that Student Wellness and Success funds are being spent to support licensed social workers and a range of social‑emotional programs, and noted the state's 50% minimum requirement for health services.
Miss Vance, introducing social‑work staff to the North Ridgeville Board of Education on May 5, said the district’s Student Wellness and Success funds are being used to support mental‑health services and student engagement programs.
"Our student wellness and success funds are used 100% to support mental health services through the three staff members," Miss Vance said, identifying Tanya Codlin and Rachel Leth as licensed independent social workers and Liz Wansky as the wellness and prevention coordinator.
The presentation explained that Ohio districts are required to use at least 50% of those funds for mental‑ or physical‑health services and outlined partnerships the district uses to reach students, including a local nonprofit described in the presentation as Path and Green and the (transcript) Lorraine County Educational Service Center.
Presenters described several in‑school programs supported by the funds. They showed a short clip and summarized the work of the "Rocks" leadership group, which emphasizes kindness, growth mindset and positive affirmations during classroom lessons and countywide events. School staff also described launching an in‑school "4" chapter (head, heart, hands, health) for third graders, which included visits from community partners and projects aimed at perseverance and public presentations.
Program staff said the initiatives include volunteer activities, team‑building challenges such as high ropes courses, and classroom lessons. They listed a range of student needs these services aim to address, including food insecurity, housing instability, mental‑health crises, domestic violence, parental incarceration, and substance‑use impacts.
Board members asked how students are selected for the programs and whether the supports continue through the summer. Presenters said membership generally comes through counselor referrals and student requests; they said social‑work staff do not run year‑round programming but coordinate with partner organizations and district resources (including a community engagement newsletter and summer partner programming) to support students during the summer months.
The presentation concluded with a thank‑you to the board for maintaining the staffing positions supported by these funds. The board did not take formal action on the presentation; items tied to fund planning and policy were listed for further consideration on the agenda for May 18.
