Youngstown superintendent: Report cards should release district from academic distress
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YOUNGSTOWN – Even though the Youngstown City School District failed last year to reach at least half of the 24 benchmarks on the state report card, the district succeeded in meeting state standards, which should be enough to release it from academic distress, the top official contends.
Superintendent Jeremy Batchelor said after the regular board of education meeting Tuesday afternoon at Youngstown Rayen Early College High School that the district hit nine of the benchmarks, but has made “double-digit improvements” in many areas.
He recently submitted a request to Gov. Mike DeWine, in which was the annual Academic Improvement Plan report. The district also had asked for a one-year extension regarding meeting the AIP requirements, Batchelor said, adding that, as per Ohio House Bill 110, this is the final year for such an extension.
A provision in HB110, passed in mid-2021, provided a temporary prohibition on creating new academic distress commissions, and developed a process for the three school districts – Youngstown, East Cleveland and Lorain – that were subjected to ADC control at that time to be relieved of such oversight.
East Cleveland and Lorain school districts have been released from academic distress, leaving Youngstown as the state’s sole district under that designation.
Batchelor added that he is encouraging the board to eventually testify before the General Assembly regarding removing the Youngstown City School District from academic distress.
During the session, board member Rev. Kenneth M. Donaldson expressed his displeasure, saying he feels it’s unfair that East Cleveland and Lorain had lower benchmarks, yet were released from the unfavorable designation.
“We don’t need this cloud over our heads from academic distress,” Donaldson, who also pastors Rising Star Baptist Church, said.
Even though the district received a three-star rating on the state report card that was released Sept. 15, it remains difficult to recruit new students largely because of ongoing negative labels, perceptions and attitudes from the past, along with such a reputation many people still associate with the district, Batchelor said.
CHOFFIN UPDATES
In other business, board member Joseph Meranto gave a report in which he updated the board on developments at Choffin Career & Technical Center, which received a five-star rating on the report card for the third consecutive year – this year, across its career-technical performance measures.
Specifically, Meranto read aloud several student outcomes that included a 97.1% graduation rate, a 97.7% post-program placement rate, a 97.2% technical skill attainment and a 99.8% technical assessment participation.
“The report card continues to demonstrate strong outcomes for Choffin students, both while enrolled and after leaving secondary education,” he said.
In addition, the career center is exploring opportunities to partner with Youngstown State University’s Excellence Training Center, with a long-term goal of establishing “a stronger YSU/Youngstown City School District pipeline beginning at the middle school level and continuing through high school and into post-secondary opportunities,” Meranto said in his report.
Also, Choffin is working to develop a partnership with YSU’s dental hygiene program to create another post-secondary path for students interested in pursuing careers in dentistry and the healthcare field, he continued.
Meranto added that the first phase of an exterior promotional mural at Choffin, created by local artist Patrick McGlone, has wrapped up. The remainder of the project is planned for next spring, he said.