BUCYRUS, OH (CRAWFORD COUNTY NOW)—The North Central Ohio Educational Service Center (NCOESC) is launching a massive recruitment drive and expanding several key student programs, including a $1.5 million driver’s education grant, to support its 19 member school districts.
NCOESC Executive Director Todd Martin highlighted the organization’s growing footprint, which now spans six counties: Seneca, Wyandot, Crawford, Richland, Marion, and Union. As a central hub for shared educational services, the ESC is currently seeking to fill critical roles, including speech-language pathologists, school psychologists, and intervention specialists, many of which offer $5,000 signing bonuses.
Beyond staffing, Martin emphasized the “Drive to Succeed” grant, which removes financial barriers for SNAP-eligible families by covering the full cost of driver’s education. The ESC is also leading the charge on state-mandated cybersecurity training, helping districts protect student data from ransomware attacks.
“Our job is to provide anything and everything a school would need that they can’t buy for themselves,” Martin said, noting that the ESC’s model allows schools to share the costs of high-need professionals.