AUSTINTOWN — The Austintown Board of Education at a special meeting earlier this month approved a resolution declaring that a vacant 9.1-acre parcel of land on Woodridge Drive is no longer needed for school purposes.

The property, which has an estimated value of $109,320, will be offered for sale through a public auction. A date for the auction has not yet been announced.

The board also approved a contract with Wright Engineering to provide services related to planned heating and cooling system upgrades at Austintown Fitch High School. The project is currently in the planning phase, with district officials expecting to seek qualifications for a construction manager later this summer.

Once a project budget is established, the selected construction manager will be compensated through a percentage-based fee tied to the overall project cost. Wright Engineering was selected from proposals that also included submissions from J.M. Verotsko and Advanced Engineering.

In other business, the board approved an agreement with Right At School LLC to provide before- and after-school care services for students in kindergarten through fifth grade.

The district has offered similar child care programs at various times in the past, often through partnerships with local child care providers. More recently, district officials attempted to operate the program independently. However, because of participation levels and operational challenges, before- and after-school care was not available during the 2025-26 school year.

District officials said the new partnership is designed to restore a service that many working families have requested.

Parents have consistently expressed a need for dependable child care options that align with the school day and provide students with a safe and structured environment before and after classes.

While the child care service itself is not new to the district, Right At School LLC will serve as a new provider.

School officials noted that the partnership brings the benefit of an established organization with professional staffing, curriculum resources and operational support.

The goal is to provide families with a high-quality child care option while helping parents balance work and family responsibilities, the board said.