NEW LONDON — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine visited New London Local Schools on Tuesday for a special event celebrating the district’s exceptional work to help their students see their best and read their best.
Not only is New London School District participating in the Governor’s new OhioSEE children’s eyesight program, they are also among the only districts in the state that has seen all of their school buildings earn the Governor’s Science of Reading Champions Award for their work in literacy education.
“New London really stands out for their leadership in prioritizing the issues that are vitally important to our kids,” said Governor DeWine. “They are changing students’ lives – both through their participation in our new OhioSEE program as well as their commitment to the Science of Reading.
“We know these are connected issues, as students need to be able to see well if they hope to read well, and they need to read well to reach their full potential.”
OhioSEE
The Governor hosted a school assembly to discuss New London’s participation in OhioSEE – a new children’s eyesight program serving Ohio’s highest-need counties.
During the event, the Governor and the entire New London school community watched as several students tried on new eyeglasses they received through the program for the first time.
“It is pure joy to watch these children put on their glasses for that first time and to be able to see the world clearly,” said Governor DeWine. “The impact is clear – OhioSEE is changing the lives of students and their families.
“We’re hopeful more school districts will enroll in the program, and that we’ll be able to reach more students.”
The students received their fitted eyeglasses at no cost to them or their family from Health Partners of Western Ohio, an OhioSEE vendor.
New London Local Schools is one of 217 school districts now enrolled in OhioSEE. The pilot program is available to all school districts in 15 high-need counties where at least 80% of students who are flagged through a school vision screening as needing follow-up vision care do not receive one.
OhioSEE brings vision services, including comprehensive eye exams and, if needed, glasses, to kindergarten through third grade students right in their school. School districts in the pilot program area can select one of two service models that work best for their district:
- A fully equipped mobile vision van that travels to schools on a set schedule, offering convenient on-site vision exams. It also returns to dispense eyeglasses directly to students.
- A “roll-on, roll-off” model that involves a team setting up an exam space within school areas, such as classrooms or libraries – then providing eye exams and dispensing glasses on-site.
“Once children can see clearly, they experience one less obstacle to being able to learn and participate in the classroom. Particularly for students in this age group who are learning to read, being able to see clearly can help them catch up in their reading abilities sooner,” said Ohio Department of Health (ODH) Director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, MD, MBA. “We continue to see the number of students impacted by this program rise as school districts enroll across the state.”
As part of Governor DeWine’s 2026 State of the State address, he urged all superintendents and school leaders in the 15-county pilot area to enroll in OhioSEE. Eligible counties include: Allen, Butler, Clark, Clermont, Cuyahoga, Erie, Franklin, Guernsey, Huron, Jackson, Lorain, Mahoning, Marion, Montgomery, and Ross counties.
School districts can request more information about joining OhioSEE by completing this form on ODH’s OhioSEE webpage. After submitting a request, schools will receive a program packet containing the official enrollment link.
Science of Reading champions
During his remarks, Gov. DeWine also congratulated New London Schools for their work using the Science of Reading to improve literacy outcomes for their students.
“This entire district has built a culture that says every child can learn how to read well, and the foundation is their commitment to the Science of Reading,” said Governor DeWine. “The evidence is clear that the Science of Reading is the best way to teach children how to read.
“Our goal is to make sure that this method is being used in every classroom in Ohio, and New London is one of the districts that is leading the charge for us.”
With the support of the General Assembly, Ohio schools are now required by law to use the Science of Reading for literacy instruction.
However, New London School District didn’t wait for the Science of Reading to become a requirement before they started using it. They were an early adopter of the Science of Reading and have been using aligned instructional methods for five years now.
“I had the chance to stop by one of your first-grade classrooms earlier this morning and see the Science of Reading in action, and it was inspiring,” said Governor DeWine. “Every child was fully engaged in what they were learning and were interacting with their teacher.
“That’s exactly what we want to see in every classroom in Ohio.”
Last year, Governor DeWine and the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce developed the Governor’s Science of Reading Champions Award program to recognize schools that stand out for their use of the Science of Reading to improve student engagement and literacy outcomes.
New London High School was among the inaugural class of recipients and became the first ever high school in the state to earn the award. Then, this spring, New London Middle School and New London Elementary School also earned the recognition.
As a result, New London Local Schools became one of only three districts in Ohio to have all of their school buildings receive the Governor’s Science of Reading Champions Award.