Principal Vicki Graves-Hill was starting to lose heart. Like any educator, she wants the best for her students — but something was missing from their learning experience at Roll Hill School.
“When I heard they didn’t have a library, I thought, ‘That’s impossible,’” said Moira Weir, President and CEO of United Way of Greater Cincinnati.
The school lost its library when Cincinnati Public Schools restructured in 2025. Plans to replace it were in the works, but Principal Vicki kept running into roadblocks. Until she connected with Weir.
“United Way said, ‘We got you. What do you need?’” recalls Principal Vicki.
United Way worked with school leaders and community partners to bring the library to life.
“Throughout this process, United Way made us feel like people cared,” she said. “They helped us believe this could really happen.”
A similar need soon surfaced at Ethel M. Taylor Academy in nearby Millvale. Previously an elementary school, it’s now one of five CPS middle schools. Again, United Way worked alongside partners to renovate that library as well, ensuring continued access for seventh- and eighth-grade readers.
That access is especially important because many of the students don’t live within easy walking distance of a public library branch.
“When we think about how United Way can help the community, we really want to ensure everyone gets the same opportunity to become the best version of themselves,” Weir said. “We want to support that in local schools. It’s really important for us to make sure children have the tools to meet those educational milestones.”
Roll Hill School celebrated the grand opening of its new library in February 2026. The renovated space at Ethel M. Taylor will be ready for the 2026-27 school year.
Both are safe places to learn — spaces that encourage reading and curiosity. They’re also investments in important learning opportunities that can shape children’s futures.
“The Roll Hill Library represents equity … It represents the belief that every child, regardless of their zip code, deserves access,” Assistant Principal April Thompson said during the opening celebration.
“The power of our library is in the confidence that it builds,” Principal Vicki said.
For Weir, that confidence is exactly why moments like this matter. “Once you have your education, you can do whatever you want to do, and nobody can take that away from you,” she said. “And it gives you power for the future.”
