Submitted photo Seaborn Elementary School kindergarten teacher Danielle Riccitelli looks for a student to answer her question during a class on Monday, which is the same day the state report cards were released. Weathersfield Local Schools earned 4.5 stars, which it has met or exceeded for the past several years.

As another school year begins, Mahoning Valley districts are poring over their latest Ohio report cards, released Monday by the state Department of Education and Workforce.

The scores show some bright spots amid ongoing challenges, highlighting how well schools help students read early, grow academically and prepare for life after graduation.

Among the highlights, Youngstown City Schools showed improvement in achievement and Warren City Schools remained the same as last year, but 15 districts in Mahoning and Trumbull counties saw their overall scores decline.

The annual report cards rate schools on six key areas: achievement on state tests, student progress from past scores, closing gaps for underserved kids, graduation rates, early reading skills for K-3 students, and readiness for college, careers or military service. Overall ratings use a one-to-five-star scale, where one star means a district needs major help to hit state goals, three stars means it meets them and five stars means it far exceeds them.

In Mahoning County, five districts climbed higher this year. Austintown jumped to four stars from 3.5, boosting its gap-closing score while dipping a bit in early literacy. Sebring rose from 2.5 to 3.5, with strong gains in early reading and graduation rate. Struthers hit four stars from 3.5, improving in gap closing and progress. West Branch reached 4.5 from four, advancing in progress despite a slip in early literacy, while other areas held steady. Youngstown edged up to 2.5 from two stars last year.

Across Trumbull County, three districts improved. Brookfield went to 3.5 from three, gaining in gap closing but dropping in graduation rate, while the rest stayed even. Newton Falls rose to 3.5 from three, with lifts in achievement, progress and gap closing. Niles also hit 3.5 from three, advancing in early literacy and progress.

But not all news was good as Howland, Joseph Badger, Lakeview, Liberty, Lordstown, Mathews, McDonald, Weathersfield and Bloomfield-Mespo all saw their ratings fall. Seven others, including Warren at a steady 2.5, kept the same overall scores as last year, with no big changes in their overall district metrics.

Technical schools across both counties continued their five-star success as Trumbull Career and Technical Center, Mahoning County Career & Technical Center and Choffin Career & Technical Center all stayed the course.

AUSTINTOWN

Austintown showed up strong, improving to a four-star overall rating from last year’s 3.5, but the district is already hard at work to improve a one-star grade in early literacy.

“Our entire district improved as a whole, which we’re very proud of,” said Dorothy Reppy, curriculum and assessment specialist at Austintown. “A lot of the things our teachers are doing are focused on what’s best for all of our kids, for each child, and that could be different types of interventions, and enrichments, so that each child grows.”

The district’s achievement, graduation and progress scores held steady, while it improved from four stars to five in gap closing.

Reppy said the progress metric follows a district’s overall improvements among students over a three-year period, and some of that progress was lost in the immediate wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Gap closing is about making sure there’s no disparities in subgroups, so that we’re doing the very best for each child,” Reppy said. “Students identified with special needs and all the other subgroups the state takes into account.”

While Austintown’s report card is heavily populated with threes, fours and fives in most categories, Austintown Elementary School did earn the district’s only one-star grade, in early literacy.

Reppy said she is not worried because the school has made gains elsewhere and Austintown’s reading program is in the midst of a makeover that officials believe will fix the problem.

“With the early literacy component, that is with kindergarten, first grade and second grade and it’s based on third-year growth,” Reppy said. “We are working on it. We are implementing the Science of Reading and it’s only been two years, and it does take a few years.”

Reppy said the elementary school improved overall from three to 3.5 stars because of the district’s holistic approach to student growth.

“When those little ones come in, we’re concerned not just with their academics, but their social and emotional growth, and we provide for those through mutli-tiered systems of support,” she said.

BOARDMAN

Boardman posted similar scores to Austintown, but dropped half a star to 3.5 overall, largely because of a one-star rating in this year’s new grading category — college, career, workforce and military readiness among high school students.

Boardman has an argument to be graded at least as well as Austintown. The district’s individual building grades are mostly threes, fours and fives, with only two two-star grades — in the progress metric at Boardman Center Intermediate and early literacy at Robinwood Elementary.

“I think we did a good job, overall, and am proud of the work we’re doing in our classrooms everyday,” said Superintendent Chris Neifer. “Some of our buildings made gains, including Glenwood that rose to 4.5 stars, West (Boulevard Elementary) retained its five-star rating again, and our achievement scores across all buildings held strong. Boardman High School saw increases in gap closing and graduation rate.”

Neifer said that while he’s not pleased with losing half a star, it can clearly be attributed to the new CCWM metric, which he said Boardman already is working to improve.

“In fact, we began working last year on plans for a new STEAM lab at BHS, which just opened at the beginning of this school year. We’re expanding our course offerings, including Intro to Engineering, Robotics, Drone Piloting, and Computer Aided Design (CAD),” Neifer said. “There is also an increase in CCP (college credit plus) courses offered in-house at BHS this year, including a new Intro to Education course. We are working with the Educational Service Center of Eastern Ohio and our higher ed partners to increase our offerings in CCP, explore more industry recognized credentials and pre-apprenticeship opportunities.”

CANFIELD

Canfield Local Schools Superintendent Joe Knoll said the state report card was good, but should have been better. Three of the district’s buildings received five stars and the high school came in at a 4.5.

“Upon reflection of the data, we know that the shift in our overall rating can be attributed to a new component called College, Career, Workforce and Military Readiness,” Knoll said. “This component requires students to meet one of the 11 elements in the calculation. Some examples include an honors diploma, AP and or ACT scores, a job or apprenticeship in a trade or enlistment in the military upon graduation.”

He said in Canfield, more than 85.1% of the Class of 2025 entered college. However, according to Knoll, that is not one of the 11 measures in this new component.

“The district scored well on the elements that lead to college readiness, but needs to improve on the variables that connect students to apprenticeships or the immediate workforce,” Knoll said.

The data still shows that Canfield remains among the top-performing districts in the region and the state.

“We believe the report cards provide one snapshot of our district, but they don’t capture the full picture of the excellence we see every day,” he said. “We will identify opportunities for continued improvement while celebrating the outstanding work of our students, teachers, and families.”

As for the new readiness category, Knoll said it is definitely something that needs to be discussed further. He said a lot of the area’s high-performance districts had a low number in that category that affected the overall score.

“The Canfield School District community can be extremely proud of the continued growth and high achievement of our students and staff, as reflected in this year’s state report card,” Knoll said.

CHOFFIN CAREER CENTER

This is the second consecutive year that Choffin, which is part of the Youngstown CIty School District, has received the state’s highest distinction. Choffin earned a 96.5% in technical skill attainment, a 96.1% four-year graduation rate, 109.2% in career and post-secondary readiness, and a 96.8% post-program placement rate.

“Earning a 5-star rating for the second year in a row is a tremendous honor for Choffin,” said Michael Saville, director of Choffin Career and Technical Center. “As the only urban Career Technical Planning District in Ohio to achieve this distinction, we know maintaining five stars year after year is even more challenging. These results reflect the strategies our team has embraced supporting students through retakes, aligning curriculum to state standards, and delivering engaging instruction every day. This accomplishment is a direct result of the dedication and persistence of our staff, and it translates into stronger opportunities for our students and growth for Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley.”

New for 2025, all Youngstown City School District students are now enrolled in one of Choffin’s career and technical education programs, bringing total participation to more than 600 students. These numbers will be reflected in next year’s Ohio School Report Card, highlighting Choffin’s growing impact on student success.

HUBBARD

Hubbard Exempted Village School District Superintendent Raymond Soloman commended the district’s students and staff for earning a commendable rating on the 2025 Ohio School Report Card.

“Hubbard’s results highlight both areas of strength and opportunities for growth. We will continue to carefully review this data and use it to guide instructional decisions moving forward,” Soloman said.

MAPLEWOOD

Maplewood Local Schools Superintendent Kevin O’Connell gave recognition to the district’s students, staff, and families for earning a 4.5-star rating on the 2024-25 Ohio School Report Card, with both the elementary and high school buildings also achieving 4.5 stars.

“Our students, teachers and families have worked tirelessly together, and these results reflect their dedication to academic excellence,” O’Connell said.

He highlighted the district’s strong performance across key areas of the report card.

“We significantly exceeded state standards in achievement, gap closing, graduation rates and early literacy, while also meeting expectations for student growth. This shows our commitment to preparing every student for success, both in school and beyond,” O’Connell added.

O’Connell talked about the district’s focus on equipping students for their futures.

“Our college, career, workforce, and military readiness efforts are ensuring our students are ready for life after graduation,” he said.

NEWTON FALLS

Newton Falls Exempted Village Schools Superintendent Dr. Andreas Johansson praised the district’s students and staff for achieving a 3.5-star rating on the 2025 Ohio School Report Card, marking steady progress over the past three years.

“Our district has shown consistent improvement, moving from two stars in 2023 to three stars in 2024, and now to 3.5 stars in 2025. This reflects the tireless efforts of our teachers, staff, students and their families who support learning at home,” Johansson said.

He highlighted the district’s focus on continuous improvement.

“The report card shows our progress, but we know there’s more to do. We’re committed to preparing our students for future success,” Johansson said.

Johansson credited the collaborative spirit of the school community.

“Everyone works together to make this possible. It’s the hard work of our entire Newton Falls community that drives these results,” he said.

The superintendent also noted that the report card is just one measure of success.

“We encourage our community to visit our schools, talk with educators and students, and see the great things happening every day that go beyond what any report can capture,” Johansson said.

NILES

Niles City Schools Superintendent Ann Marie Thigpen applauded the district for achieving a 3.5-star rating on the 2025 Ohio School Report Card, reflecting significant progress in educational excellence.

“Our district met state standards in achievement and gap closing and exceeded standards in progress, resulting in an overall 3.5-star rating. This milestone showcases the dedication of our teachers, students, families, administrators, and board of education,” Thigpen said.

She said the district has a commitment to ongoing growth.

“This progress is significant, but our work continues. We’re focused on not just meeting, but exceeding, expectations to prepare every student for success in school, college, career and life,” Thigpen added.

She credited the collaborative efforts of the entire school community. “Everyone works together to make this possible. It’s the hard work of our Niles community that drives these results,” she said.

POLAND

Poland Superintendent Craig Hockenberry is fairly pleased with the release of the state report card, even though the overall rating took a small drop to four stars for 2025.

“We are down just a little bit,” he said. “Part of it is in math, so we will be working on that.”

He said the report card is a good benchmark to look at when considering where to make improvements.

In looking at the overall score by school, Poland Middle School topped the charts with five stars for the second straight year. McKinley Elementary came in at 4.5 and the high school posted a 3.5. Hockenberry said the high school may be an issue with six grade levels.

“Most high schools have grades 9-12, but Poland Seminary has 7-12,” he said. “We are looking at separating the 7 and 8 grade levels and making them a separate school within a school. We believe that would have a positive impact.”

He also mentioned the new category of career, college and military readiness as being a problem. Poland was listed at three, as was South Range, and Canfield earned two stars in the new category. Hockenberry said all three schools have high graduation rates, as well as college-bound graduates.

“In Poland, almost 100% of our kids go to college,” he said. “There is no way Poland is a three in this category. I believe this is a tracking issue and it’s more complex than it needs to be. It is definitely something for superintendents to discuss.”

In spite of the readiness category, Hockenberry said the district can still be pleased with the overall ratings.

“We have a little room for improvement and a lot to be proud of,” he said.

SEBRING

McKinley Jr. / Sr. High school earned a 3.5-star rating on the 2025 Ohio School Report Card, improving by a full star compared to last year. Principal Brian Clark praised the achievement as a true example of what can happen when an entire learning community works together toward shared goals.

“This accomplishment is a reflection of our students’ determination, our teachers’ expertise, and the support of our families and community,” Clark said. “Our staff has worked tirelessly to create a culture where every student is supported and challenged. The results show the power of cohesion and collaboration between dedicated teachers, hardworking students and supportive administration. Moving from a 2.5-star rating last year, we anticipate that our building’s improvement on the report card will be among the largest in Ohio at the high school level.”

The school has a perfect 100% graduation rate the past two years. Per the ODEW, the feat had not been accomplished in well over two decades at McKinley. Additionally, the school received a five-star rating in College, Career, Workforce and Military Readiness, which measures how the school prepares students for their future. This the first year for this measure on the ODEW report card and McKinley ranked among Ohio’s very best schools for post graduate and workforce preparedness.

“Our students deserve the credit for embracing high expectations and rising to meet them,” Clark added. “Our teachers continue to inspire and innovate in the classroom, and our administrative team is committed to removing barriers so learning can thrive. This is truly a shared victory for our entire learning community.”

SOUTH RANGE

The South Range Local School District had its best achievement performance in five years. With the district matra, “Get Better Every Day,” the district has incrementally improved its efforts to increase student achievement to record-high advanced proficiency levels among its students, according to a news release sent by the district.

“One of our ‘Raider Way’ goals is monitoring student performances as a means to ‘Get Better Every Day.’ The pursuit of improvement is woven into our Raider DNA. From athletics to the arts, to the classroom, a goal is for us to work to improve annually,” Superintendent Jarred Zapolnik said.

South Range’s report card results rank the district among the top in Mahoning County.

“These results are reflective of the collective efforts of our students, teachers, and families to achieve and improve. We will use this report as motivation to continue our upward growth,” Zapolnik added.

WEATHERSFIELD

Weathersfield School Superintendent Damon Dohar praised the district’s students and staff for the 4.5 stars received on the report card.

“Ever since the state tests were started, the district has been at 5 or 4.5 stars. I credit the hard work of the teachers and staff, the students and their parents who work with them at home in the evening,” Dohar said.

He said the district has been able to maintain a 4.5 or five stars each year.

Dohar said the district received five stars for readiness on the report card.

“This is an area where we have been preparing for with a plan in place for career readiness for students in helping them prepare for their futures,” he said.

Dohar said teachers and staff are very dedicated in preparing the students for the tests,

“Everyone works together to make this all possible. There is hard work on everyone’s part,” Dohar said.

YOUNGSTOWN

Youngstown improved from two stars to 2.5, but the district’s achievement scores remain sub-standard, with the exception of Youngstown Rayen Early College, and its CCWM scores are a mixed bag.

Youngstown improved from a two-star rating in 2024 to 2.5 this year. The district made one-star improvement in achievement, progress and gap closing. Its scores in graduation and early literacy stayed the same, at 2 and 1, respectively. Youngstown also boasted three stars in the new CCWM metric.

Its overall ratings range from two stars to 4.5, with Youngstown Rayen Early College boasting the high score. In the achievement category, YREC also carried the district with four stars, while every other school in Youngstown scored two stars or one. The district did best in progress and gap closing, posting mostly twos and threes.

Chaney High School and Paul C. Bunn Elementary boasted four stars in progress, and YREC a five in both categories, as well as graduation.

Graduation is still somewhat of a struggle for the district. Chaney and YREC earned a four and five respectively, but Youngstown Virtual Academy and East High School scored only ones.

One anomaly in the district’s scores is YREC. While the school earned between four and five stars in every other category, it posted only one in the CCWM metric.

Youngstown Virtual Academy did not score higher than a two in any category.

District spokesperson Stacy Quinones sent the following statement in response to the report card results:

“We are building on the momentum as the district continues to raise its state report card rating. YCSD remains committed to continuous improvement, with a focus on expanding our career and technical education programs, and increasing college access through our early college. The district is steadfast in ensuring educational opportunity is at the center of all we do.”

Reporters Brandon Cantwell, Bob Coupland and J.T. Whitehouse contributed to this story.