EATON — Preble County Educational Service Center Board of Education member Kevin Johnston was recently awarded the Torch Award while he attended the Ohio School Board Association’s Capital Conference.

The Torch Award was established to recognize individuals and/or organizations who have rendered outstanding service or who have made significant contributions to OESCA and ESCs as a whole.

Johnston reported back on his trip during the board meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 15.

“I was given the highest award that you can get in an ESC program, the Torch Award, for my years of service for this ESC and the statewide organization,” he said. “Superintendent Mike Gray was there to share the moment with me. I was honored to be nominated.”

He added, it was a “great conference overall,” and shared more on his trip.

“The conference was shortened a day, because they voted to make it shorter. There was no Wednesday. I went up on Sunday and there were three sessions, closing with the Welcome Reception. They were short-handed with food, they didn’t anticipate so many people attending,” he said.

“The session I attended was Parliamentary Procedure and action. That was circling the wagons, making us as the board and staff a cohesive unit. A bill was introduced on the poverty achievement gap and it had not been previously announced. It is zero tolerance and for kids through eight. The question on the floor was, how many kids under eight get suspended in the State of Ohio? 35,000.

“They are going to eliminate out-of-school suspension. The only way you would get it is a real threat to another. It would take four years to activate. That was right on the cusp of learning that.”

He added, there was also discussion on the opioid epidemic and how it affects education.