Six Mahoning County students graduate from online school

Staff report

COLUMBUS

Six students from Mahoning County earned their high-school diplomas from Ohio Connections Academy and were honored during the virtual school’s annual commencement ceremony.

John Craig, Sarah Hoover, Jeremy Krugel and Sean McCartney, all of Youngstown; Jordan Johnston of Poland and Emily Zimmerman of Struthers were among OCA’s 2015 graduating class with more than 200 students from 59 counties throughout Ohio.

Ohio Connections Academy is an online, public charter school that combines state-certified teachers, a print-rich curriculum, technology tools and community experiences. Teachers develop a personalized learning plan for each student, deliver instruction, evaluate assignments and work directly with students via the phone and Internet, while a parent or other adult “Learning Coach” oversees progress in the home.