I've lived in Ohio most of my 41 years and had never heard of goetta before just now. Googling tells me it's mostly a Cincinnati thing, and that's the part of the state I've spent the least time in. I guess that explains why I've not seen it, but doesn't help me understand why it's a state food. Spaghetti chili from Cincinnati spread a lot more than goetta. We even used to have a Skyline Chili on Union Street in Athens!
Can't argue buckeyes though, that's a classic.
My kid is in high school, and they communicate about emergencies through text, email, and automated calls. There are lots of jobs, especially low-paying ones, that will not let you check your phone during your shift, and they're certainly not going to be okay with you leaving early to go pick up your kid. If the choice is "leave to pick up kid (who you know is safe with teachers), get fired," versus "leave kid (who you know is safe with teachers), keep job," it's pretty simple math.