The Ohio Lottery has named Olentangy High School (OHS) as its Partners in Education 2016 School of the Year, and there are big plans to help celebrate the occasion.

Students and staff will be recognized for their achievement during a special pep rally featuring local broadcast celebrities and mascots. Guests include Cash Explosion co-host David McCreary, Cleveland Cavaliers in-arena host and hype man Ahmaad Crump, and mascots from the Columbus Crew, Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Reds. The event will be held in the school’s gymnasium Friday afternoon.

Olentangy High School was selected as School of the Year in a random drawing comprised of all Ohio schools participating in the Lottery’s Partners in Education program throughout the 2015-2016 school year. Last year, then Olentangy High School senior Inikki Mitchell was nominated for Academic All Star, making the school eligible for the drawing.

The Ohio Lottery program is a way for students, staff and schools to be recognized for outstanding performance and achievement. Based on the nominations received, one teacher and one student from every region are recognized monthly, September through May, either as an Academic All Star or as a Teacher of the Month. The selected teachers and students receive Partners in Education merchandise and a gift card. Their achievements are promoted locally and placed on the Ohio Lottery website and social media pages.

Olentangy High School is regularly ranked among the best schools in state and nation. The U.S. News and World Report last year ranked Olentangy High School as the 5th best high school in Ohio and the 228th best in the nation based academic indicators such as student performance on state-required tests, graduation rates, and how well they prepared students for college based on participation in and performance on AP exams.

As this year’s winning school, Olentangy High School will receive a School of the Year trophy, a $500 gift card to Office Max and merchandise and collectibles from several of the Ohio Lottery’s partners.

Visit www.ohiolottery.com/supportingeducation for more information on the program.