MCESC Deepens Countywide Efforts to Re-Engage Students and Strengthen Pathways to Success

Regional service center builds on nearly two decades of leadership to support youth and adult learners
across Montgomery County and beyond

DAYTON, Ohio, Jan. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- For nearly 20 years, the Montgomery County Educational Service Center (MCESC) has helped districts across the region tackle some of education's most complex challenges—long before issues like chronic absenteeism and student disengagement dominated headlines.

With 16 public school districts under its umbrella, MCESC has long served as a central connector for Montgomery County—linking schools, community partners, and state-level initiatives so students and families can access the resources they need to thrive.

"Our mission is visionary leaders providing exemplary service, but our tagline is that we serve so students can be successful," Superintendent Shannon Cox said. "A lot of times our bigger role is providing access to resources that help school districts in general make certain that they have what they need for their students to be successful."

Long before the COVID-19 pandemic, MCESC was already exploring new ways to support students who were credit-deficient or disengaged due to significant life challenges. As part of that work, MCESC identified partners that could help districts re-engage learners while staying aligned with Ohio's regulations and local needs.

One such partner was Graduation Alliance, which MCESC began working with a decade ago as part of a broader strategy to expand flexible pathways for students. Cox played a key role in shaping how new models could fit within Ohio's attendance and accountability framework.

"It wasn't like they [Graduation Alliance] said, 'Oh, nope, that's the way the model is,'" Cox said. "They were willing to figure it out with me… and we all went out and used our resources to bring people back to the table who could try to figure it out — and we did."

That collaborative foundation proved critical during the COVID-19 pandemic, when thousands of Ohio students became unaccounted for. Drawing on its earlier work with alternative and online pathways, MCESC led conversations with districts and partners about how to locate students, understand the barriers they faced, and reconnect them to learning.

Cox recalls asking a simple but urgent question: "Can you help me find kids?" The resulting local pilot—supported by Graduation Alliance—helped districts track down missing students, identify obstacles to attendance, and connect families with community resources. The approach would later help inform ENGAGE Ohio, a statewide attendance recovery effort.

"All the work that we had done before COVID set the stage for us to be able to pivot during COVID and after COVID pretty quickly," Cox said. "We had a really good relationship, we knew what each other's strengths were, and we had a really good foundation of doing things a little differently that we could, just with a little bit of a tweak, make a pretty big impact."

As MCESC looks to the future, its focus extends beyond K–12. The organization is increasingly supporting both youth and adult learners, recognizing that education and workforce pathways are deeply connected.

"We can't just say, 'Congratulations, you graduated from high school. Have a great rest of your life,'" Cox said. "Even though we bear no responsibility outside of that, as members of this community, we can do better than that. And that's the attitude we've taken."

Graduation Alliance Vice President of Program Development Carolyn Taylor said the organization is proud to be one of MCESC's partners in this work. The partnership serves students who are credit-deficient or have dropped out. To date, more than 300 students have graduated from high school, saving Montgomery County an estimated $9 million in services over the past decade. Nearly 180 additional learners earned 795+ credits, which allowed them to return to in-person school and get back on track to graduation.

"MCESC's leadership demonstrates what it looks like when a regional service center keeps students and communities at the center of every decision," Taylor said. "We're honored to support their efforts as they help districts reconnect learners and remove barriers to success, allowing students to see what is possible for their futures."

For MCESC, the next decade will bring continued innovation—but with the same core commitment it has held from the beginning: ensuring that every learner, at every stage of life, has a path to success.

About MCESC: The Montgomery County Educational Service Center provides comprehensive services to 16 public school districts in Montgomery County and more than 140 educational entities across the Greater Dayton region. MCESC offers specialized and related services, instructional support, career readiness programming, professional development, and more, and also operates five student learning programs that deliver individualized education for exceptional learners. Learn more at MCESC.org.

About Graduation Alliance: Since 2007, Graduation Alliance has given schools and communities across the nation the resources and support needed to help individuals reach their educational and career goals. In partnership with school districts, local governments, nonprofits, workforce development boards, and community colleges, Graduation Alliance develops highly effective alternative education and workforce training programs. For more information about Graduation Alliance, visit GraduationAlliance.com.

MCESC Press Contact: Sarah Fries, PR and Communications Coordinator, [email protected]

Graduation Alliance Press Contact: Joanna Alcala, Chief Marketing Officer, [email protected], 855.486.8855

SOURCE Graduation Alliance; Montgomery County Educational Service Center (MCESC)