YOUNGSTOWN — The theme may be “One vision, one Youngstown,” but progress in the city school district is being made on multiple fronts, the top official says.

“Everything we do, every lesson we teach, every document we create, needs to be focused on these five durable skills,” Superintendent Jeremy Batchelor said in his State of the Schools address Monday at East High School.

He was referring to a collaborative effort implemented earlier this year called “Portrait of a Graduate,” which was designed to give students who graduate from the district added important skills to be successful moving forward. The five are critical thinking, empathy, communication, responsibility and adaptability, Batchelor noted.

That was one of the core improvements the schools have undergone in recent years. A pivotal improvement is the graduation rate, which rose from 76% in 2018 to 85% in 2024; last year’s rate is expected to be 90%, Batchelor said, adding that even though he’s not satisfied with the latest figure, he’s grateful that it reflects a trend that’s moving in the right direction.

ACADEMIC IMPROVEMENT PLAN

The latest state report card, released last month, shows vast improvements at East High compared to last year, along with significant gains in meeting math benchmarks at East and Chaney high schools. In a single school year, East High improved from a 1.5-star rating to 2.5 stars; Chaney High went from 2 stars to 3.5, the superintendent noted.

Also, Taft Elementary School, which has undergone certain struggles, rose one star, he said, adding that the work of teachers across the board “is nothing short of amazing.”

Other gains have been seen in the district, which has about 4,425 students and 1,139 employees. Sixty-nine percent of second- and third-graders met or exceeded growth expectations in early literacy, which surpassed this year’s 63% goal; about 71.7% of students in Algebra I and geometry met benchmark growth, exceeding the 70% goal; the district’s performance index increased to 57.49% far beyond the 47% goal in the Academic Improvement Plan, in its fourth year,; and more than 97% of graduating seniors earned at least two diploma seals.

The district is no longer at the bottom of the performance index, which measures the growth students are making based on their previous academic performances.

“We aren’t where we want to be, but we sure aren’t where we used to be,” Batchelor said.

HOLISTIC APPROACH

The district also has made great strides toward ensuring the school experience is more enriching for the students. Those efforts include ensuring many of them have the ability to attend Camp Fitch to help them further grow and develop; that they have wrap-around services that include support, advice, help and guidance; and mentoring as well as extracurricular opportunities, including flag football for girls, Batchelor explained.

Also during his presentation, at which nearly 100 teachers, administrators, parents, students and others attended, Batchelor announced that Tricia Mulcahy and Michael Sauner will be the principals of the new Youngstown High School and Youngstown Middle School, respectively, beginning in the 2026-27 school year.

The move is part of the district’s school reconfiguration plan that was announced in May and that will feature a single high school and middle school both on the East Side.

Also, he announced that a new treasurer has been hired to replace Bryan Schiraldi, who took a position in the Aurora school district. The board is expected to formally announce the hire at its next regular meeting Oct. 28.

TRANSPORTATION CHALLENGES

Like nearly every urban school district in Ohio, the Youngstown City Schools continue to struggle with certain transportation difficulties because of a state mandate that requires public school districts to be responsible for transporting students to private and charter schools, which has left many public school students behind. As a result, many Youngstown high school students have gotten to school on Western Reserve Transit Authority buses.

Batchelor urged those in the audience to contact their elected officials to change the mandate and make transportation more fair and equitable for everyone.

MOVING FORWARD

As the district continues to capitalize on improvements it has made in recent years, the road ahead needs to include parents and the larger community getting behind and believing in the students and supporting necessary changes.

“The work is happening,” Batchelor said, adding, “Our kids are doing great things.”