MAHONING COUNTY

By Denise Dick

MAHONING COUNTY

AUSTINTOWN

Administration: Sheila Palombo will be the principal of Watson Elementary School. She replaces James Carchedi, who retired. Keith Edenfield will be the freshman-level principal at Fitch High School. Timothy Kelty will be the Woodside Elementary School principal.

Curriculum: The district will offer online courses with the start of the school year with Janet Polish as the new coordinator of alternative and online curriculum.

Renovations: The Falcon Forward committee renovated the press box on the home side of Falcon Stadium at the high school. Collaboration with Austintown trustees will enable the construction of new softball fields for the schools to begin at the 911 Memorial Park on Raccoon Road. Relocation of the fields was necessary because of the anticipated construction of two new elementary school buildings resulting from the May passage of a bond issue.

BOARDMAN

Curriculum: Middle schools students will be taught by interdisciplinary teams of teachers. Teacher teams will work cooperatively to plan lessons, classroom activities, projects and assessments. This teaming approach will benefit students by enabling teacher teams to know their students better. An adjustment to whether students attend Glenwood Middle and Center Middle is another middle school change for the upcoming school year. It was necessary because of the teaming change and because of a disparity of 150 students between the two schools.

Renovations: Students will no longer be taught in portable classrooms. Last school year, construction began on building additions at Stadium Drive and Robinwood Lane Elementary schools. The additions will eliminate the portable trailers and also provide rooms for tutors, special education teachers and subject areas such as art, music and the library. A new entrance was also added at Stadium Drive which requires visitors to enter the building directly into the secretary’s office during the school day. Additional lighted parking has been added to both Robinwood and Stadium for safety and to reduce traffic congestion.

CANFIELD

Renovations: New lighting was installed in the gymnasiums in both the middle and high schools with an eye on being green. The new lights put out more light for less cost and are expected to pay for themselves in two years with the savings.

CARDINAL MOONEY

Administration: Mark Vollmer, assistant principal.

Renovations: Girls’ locker room renovated to include separate varsity girls’ locker room and girls’ physical education locker room.

HOLY FAMILY

Renovations: New white boards have replaced chalkboards in the classrooms.

JACKSON-MILTON

Curriculum: Bought Kindle Readers for elementary school students using grant money.

Renovations: Demolition of the old Jackson-Milton High School, built in 1913, started in July. Grass will be planted in its place. The roof at the elementary school is being replaced this month.

LOWELLVILLE

Curriculum: The district will provide an all-day, every day kindergarten program for the first time this coming school year. Other curriculum enhancements include adding an additional eighth grade math course as well as a robotics program at the high school level.

Renovations: A new illuminated sign in front of the schools that will keep everyone informed of all of the district’s activities.

POLAND

Administration: Kevin Snyder, assistant principal at Poland Seminary High School, will be acting principal at the high school for the first semester.

Curriculum: Italian instruction expanded at the high school to include three years as electives. Accounting II added as an elective at the high school. Word processing was dropped as a course. Eighth grade curriculum revised to include literacy-based/study skills semester courses to meet state standards.

Renovations: Two high school science labs have been renovated/upgraded. McKinley Elementary School’s main roof was replaced. Exterior painting was done at the middle school and McKinley and parking lot repairs and sealing were done at the high school, North, middle school and Union Elementary School.

SEBRING

Administration: Kristy Erb will be the new director of special education services.

STRUTHERS

Administration: Pete Pirone is the new principal at Struthers Middle School and Margaret Kowach is the new principal at Struthers Elementary School.

URSULINE

Administration: The Rev. Richard Murphy returns to Ursuline as the executive director of institutional advancement after spending the past two school years as president of Notre Dame Schools in Warren.

Curriculum: Honors chemistry has been added for incoming sophomores and is a prerequisite to advanced placement chemistry.

Renovations: New girls and boys locker rooms, a weight room, coaches offices and an Irish Cottage store were renovated in the athletic training facility.

WEST BRANCH

Administration: Brian Coffee, formerly assistant high school principal, is the new high school principal, replacing Joseph Knoll who resigned to take another job. Tom Thompson, retired West Branch principal, will return for a year as assistant high school principal. Amy Mabbott is the new principal at Knox Elementary School.

Curriculum: The middle school will fully implement teaming in grades six through eight. Under the teaming concept, a group of four teachers, one in each acadmic area — language arts, math, science and social studies — will be responsible for a group of about 100 students. The schedule will provide increased instructional time in the four areas with each class meeting for one hour daily.

Renovations: The district is working to assemble a funding package for energy improvements approved by the Ohio School Facilities Commission. Implementation of the energy efficient project will begin in late summer and include upgrades to lighting, heat/air conditioning and their respective control systems.

YOUNGSTOWN ACADEMY OF EXCELLENCE

Administration: Melissa L. Wheatley is the interim chief administrative officer/principal.

YOUNGSTOWN CHRISTIAN

Administration: Effective Aug. 1, Dennis Malaska and Joshua Reichard filled the positions of dean of students (K-12) and academic dean (K-12), respectively.

YOUNGSTOWN CITY

Administration: Paul C.Bunn Elementary and Chaney High schools will have new principals, but they haven’t been hired yet.

Curriculum: Changes are expected as the district is implementing an academic recovery plan.

Renovations: A new Wilson Middle School, the last school in the district’s Ohio School Facilities Commission-funded, 10-year building plan, opens this fall.

TRUMBULL COUNTY

BLOOMFIELD-MESOPOTAMIA

Curriculum: The high school is partnering with Youngstown State University to offer their College in High School program where students will be able to earn both high school and college credit in calculus and physics. Online courses also will be made available for students to take additional electives that aren’t offered at the high school.

Renovations: The high school has been renovated through the use of permanent improvement money. The septic system was updated to meet Environmental Protection Agency requirements. The gymnasium was painted and the floor refinished. The roof was repairs and new bleachers were installed.

BRISTOL

Curriculum: A new math series for elementary school, new math series for upper level high school mathematics and formation of a comprehensive family and civic engagement committee.

Renovations: A new primary grade level playground made possible through individual and PTO donations. The district also converted to wireless Internet service. Every classroom and office has a wireless connection.

JOSEPH BADGER

Curriculum: The district’s technology initiative continues with all students grades three through eight gaining daily access to computer laptop usage integrated through regular classroom instruction. New course offerings for the 2010-2011 school year will include the History of Rock and Roll, Military Strategy, Advanced Physical Fitness and Survey of Advanced Computer Applications.

GIRARD

Administration: Gregory Bonamase is the new principal at Girard Intermediate School.

Curriculum: Prospect Elementary School, in cooperation with the United Way, completed the Success by Six program in the summer to prepare incoming kindergarten students. The district expanded its pre-engineering curriculum, adding the LEGO program for fifth grade. The district expanded the biomedical science curriculum by adding a medical interventions program at the high school.

Renovations: A new junior/senior high school building opens this year.

HUBBARD

Renovations: High school students start the new school year with a new school building.

LABRAE

Curriculum: High school is partnering with YSU to offer their College in High School program where students will be able to earn both high school and college credit. The school day changes from nine periods to eight periods per day in both the high school and middle school. There’s an expanded special education program to accommodate more children and new reading materials for third through fifth graders.

LIBERTY

Administration: New superintendent Stan Watson.

Curriculum: After 16 years, Liberty High School will be on a traditional academic schedule this year, changing from a trimester system.

MCDONALD

Administration: New superintendent, Barry Morrison, started Aug. 1. David Vecchione will be the new principal at Roosevelt Elementary School.

Renovations: McDonald High School football stadium has a fresh coat of navy and white paint.

COLUMBIANA COUNTY

BEAVER LOCAL

Administration: High school principal is Jim Lyons; assistant principal, Linda Faieta; Calcutta Elementary principal, Mark Scott; and service manager, Claire McIntosh.

Curriculum: Advanced Placement Calculus will be offered with the opportunity for students to take it as dual enrollment and receive credit from YSU.

COLUMBIANA

Curriculum: Every junior and senior will be provided with a Netbook capable of connecting to the school’s wireless network as part of Columbiana High School’s 1:1 Netbook Initiative.

Renovations: Addition to and renovation of Joshua Dixon Elmentary School is in progress and expected to be finished before the start of the 2011-12 school year.

LEETONIA

Administration: Fred Kunar is the new elementary school principal and Missy Brock is special education director.

LAWRENCE COUNTY

MOHAWK AREA

Administration: Superintendent is Kathleen A. Kwolek and assistant superintendent is Lorree A. Houk. Raymond Omer is the high school principal and Gregory Ferencak is the high school assistant principal.

MERCER COUNTY

MERCER AREA

Curriculum: A new SAT prep class was offered free of charge for any interested high school student this summer and a new statistics class will be added to the high school this fall.