In Over-the-Rhine, St. Francis Seraph Elementary has quietly turned everyday lessons into something closer to street-smarts training, after students began hearing gunshots and seeing fights near the school. Teachers and mentors are building short, age-appropriate safety lessons into the day so even the youngest kids know how to get help and avoid making tense situations worse when trouble spills into the neighborhood. School leaders say the effort took on new urgency after a string of shootings across Cincinnati and chaotic crowds on Reds Opening Day that pushed into nearby streets.
On-the-ground lessons for kids
Leading the effort is Andre Ewing, a retired Cincinnati police officer who now mentors students and describes his approach as a simple "tool kit" of non-violent options and ways to find help. Students, including older kids, have talked about how Opening Day crowds and related disturbances sometimes reach the area around the school, which has led to more in-class conversations about safety and choices.
"We work really, really hard to meet the needs of the students," the principal said, explaining that staff coordinate closely with parents and police so "everyone is on the same page," as reported by WLWT.
School resources and staffing
St. Francis Seraph lists Gineen Enneking as its principal and shows on-site counselors and student services that the school says support trauma-informed work with young children. The staff directory and contact page also note that the school is CISE-supported and runs programs meant to help students and families manage outside stressors.
School officials say mixing classroom lessons with parent outreach and school-based supports helps students turn what they hear in class into safer decisions on the street, according to St. Francis Seraph School.
Opening Day spillover and downtown arrests
The school’s push followed widely shared accounts of trouble downtown last Thursday, when officers cleared busy areas near Great American Ball Park and arrested several people in incidents authorities described as "disorder and violence." Local reporting said officers arrested about 17 people that night, with charges that included disorderly conduct, possession of weapons while intoxicated, assault and resisting arrest, and that judges planned to set high bonds in the cases.
The incidents underscored how large public events can ripple into nearby neighborhoods and into the daily lives of students and families, as reported by WHIO.
Budget squeeze complicates public safety
At the same time, Cincinnati leaders are weighing department-wide 5 percent budget scenarios that could touch public safety funding and neighborhood outreach. Spectrum News reported that the Budget, Finance and Governance Committee has asked departments to model what a 5 percent cut would look like as officials prepare the fiscal year 2027 budget and consider alternatives such as an earnings tax increase.
School staff and parents worry that if city resources for outreach or overtime patrols shrink, schools could end up carrying more of the load, which could strain partnerships between educators and law enforcement.
What it means locally
For now, Enneking and the school’s mentors say they are keeping the response grounded in practical, age-appropriate instruction and steady communication with families. The focus is on teaching children where to go and whom to tell when they feel unsafe, and on reinforcing that message at home.
St. Francis Seraph’s approach shows how schools close to downtown are adjusting when citywide disruptions cross neighborhood lines. Administrators say they will continue to rely on existing supports and outside partners as needed, and they are encouraging parents to reach out to the school if they or their children need help.
