New Mahoning County High School to emphasize changing behavior

By Harold Gwin

YOUNGSTOWN — High school students in Mahoning County facing expulsion for misbehavior will get a second chance to complete their education when Mahoning County High School opens this fall.

It’s a new charter school, created to provide both academic and vocational education with a strong emphasis on behavior modification.

The goal is to do all that can be done to assure these children complete their education and graduate from high school, said Judge Theresa Dellick of the Mahoning County Juvenile Justice Center. She has been the driving force behind the development of the alternative education school.

Dellick said the students will come through her court facing expulsion and juvenile criminal charges for things ranging from truancy to assault on a teacher.

They will be placed on probation and serve that probation by completing their education at the alternative school, or by improving their academic performance and personal behavior to the point where they can return to their home school, she said.

They won’t be incarcerated, but will be under the control of the court and school from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, Dellick said. They’ll spend their after-school hours doing homework and being involved in other programs.

The exception will be students who have jobs and will be allowed to go to those jobs after class.

The school is looking at the WRTA or perhaps students’ home schools for transportation services.

The location of the school has not yet been determined.

Read the full story Monday in The Vindicator and on Vindy.com.