Editor’s Note: Readers, this is one of the stories we were unable to fit into print this week, so we’ve made it freely available on our website.

The Milford Board of Education held its regularly scheduled meeting on Aug. 19 to another packed crowd following its mask mandate at the kindergarten through sixth grade buildings.

One of the big items from detractors of the mask mandates during the Aug. 16 meeting was concern for the mental health of the District’s children.

William Cates, the mental health coordinator, presented a PowerPoint on the mental health supports provided by the District.

Cates supervises a team of seven mental health interventionists and operates as a liaison between two mental health agencies, Child Focus and Best Point Behavioral Health, and the District’s staff.

He said they are expecting an increase in mental health needs this school year, primarily because a lot of students are returning to in-person learning for the first time in a year and a half.

There’s also the added pressure to “return to normal,” which could minimize the affect the pandemic had on the lives of staff and students last year in conjunction with the “looming threat” of COVID-19.

School-age of 12 to 14 is when mental health issues that track through adulthood first manifest, such as depression, anxiety, trauma and stressors-related concerns and family difficulties.

Staff in the District are given information and/or are trained to recognize signs of distress and ways to support students in the classroom, Cates said.

Cates said they’ve been able to help 500 students a year through these interventions and services on offer.

Andrea Brady, board member, asked Cates if they are going to be more proactive this year, keeping their eyes open for kids having a hard time with the adjustments amid the pandemic.

Cates said they are and he briefed his team that they may have to triage the uptick in referrals to a different level of care to make sure they aren’t reducing quality of services for quantity.

“And I think part of it is just normalizing help-seeking behavior, letting parents and teachers know that it’s okay to talk about these things, that it’s okay to reach out to a mental health provider and just ask the questions,” he said. “I think mental health is really integral to the health of a community.”

In other news from the meeting …

– The Board received its letter of support from the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission for the Classroom Facilities Assistant Program, Segment Two. It’s a formality, as the Ohio Controlling Board also approved the move on Aug. 2.

The OFCC’s funds will remain in effect for 13 months, which is one of the driving factors for the bond on the Nov. 2. General Election ballot.

At 2.47-mill, the bond, if passed, would demolish the existing Junior High School and build a new grades six to eight Middle School.

The bond for 30 years, totaling $55.9 million, would only be for those two primary purposes and site circulation/traffic flow considerations.

The aforementioned OFCC funds contribute $11,559,512 to the project.

If passed, the owner of a home with an appraised value of $100,000 would pay an additional $86.45 in taxes.

In its letter, OFCC projected enrollment for the District at 6,420 for the 2025-2026 school year, which is actually down from 6,600.

– The District is looking to hire a part-time nutrition services chef for the High School, who would report to the kitchen manager.

Jeff Johnson, director of business and operations, explained that they are looking to develop new and better choices for students, including with the District’s cooking from scratch program.

“With the staffing we’ve got, it’s been a challenge to do that,” he said.

– The Board re-upped its agreement with the Miami Township Police Department for officers at the school, also known as school resource officers. Specifically, the agreement calls for one officer at the High School, one at the Junior High School and one officer to cover the five elementary schools in the township. Those officers also assist at school-related events as requested.

Miami Township pays for 50 percent of the salary, with the District paying the other 50 percent.

“I think this is a great move and it’s something that’s needed,” Dave Yockey, board member, said.

Johnson said he’s excited about the expansion of the program into the elementary schools.

Sherri Howard will be the SRO rotating through those five elementary schools.

“She’ll rotate through those, get into classrooms, build relationships with kids, much like we do at the Junior High and High School,” Johnson said.

Pattison Elementary is the only school in the city of Milford and Johnson said they aren’t left out; the Milford Police Department has dedicated to an increased police presence in and around the school.

– Nearly another hour of public comment was dedicated to residents again airing their thoughts and grievances about the mask mandate applied at the previous special meeting.