Place Matters Helps Oyler School

Place Matters Helps Oyler School Succeed Julie Irwin Zimmerman, August 23, 2012 This week, students at Price Hill’s Oyler School start classes in a state-of-the-art building and a school that’s succeeding academically. But not long ago, the school was in “academic emergency” and high-school graduates in the neighborhood were rare. "It used to be you got to seventh, eighth grade, you'd drop out and hang out on the street," explains Jim Holmstrom, Youth Development Program Coordinator for Santa Maria Community Services. In June the school graduated its third class of seniors, with 35 of 42 students heading to college and three entering the military. Oyler's success has attracted national attention and is inspiring other school leaders. Oyler's turnaround began when the school added grades 9-12, so students could stay in the neighborhood to attend high school. Improvements took off when place matters partners helped Oyler add a Community Learning Center. The Center offers medical and mental-health services, vision and dental care to combat the causes of low attendance and poor performance at school. Funded in part by the Greater Cincinnati Foundation and the Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati, the Community Learning Center is considered to be a major factor in the school's recent successes. Students also receive help outside of school. Place matters lead agencies Price Hill Will and Santa Maria Community Services  teamed up with local nonprofits and social-service agencies to provide free school supplies, free meals, homework help, mentoring, after-school care, and on-site day-care. Oyler’s dramatic transformation exemplifies the guiding principle of place matters—that the best way to effect change in a neighborhood is to bring together residents, community groups, governmental agencies and funders to cooperate on the many elements that lead to success.