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New ESC building owned by the career and technical center board
By Denise Dick
CANFIELD
Twenty-two Mahoning, Trumbull, Columbiana and Portage county school districts have come together under one roof in the new $8.5 million Mahoning County Educational Service Center building.
A brief ceremony Thursday marked the dedication of the new center on Mahoning County Career and Technical Center property.
Members of MCCTC board cut a ribbon for the ceremony, and students, representing each of the member districts, cut a second ribbon.
The MCESC was housed at the Southwoods Complex in Boardman. That building is owned by Cocca Development, and the center paid rent.
Now, the career center owns the building and leases it to the ESC. The two facilities share all but two board members, a treasurer and a superintendent.
The agreement is expected to save money for the member districts – 14 of which are in Mahoning County. Member districts pay the center for services, including preschool, curriculum and instruction and services for special-needs students.
Superintendent Ron Iarussi said the idea to build a new center to house the ESC came about three years ago when he and Treasurer Blaise Karlovic were discussing the property.
“That’s how it all got started,” Iarussi said. “We were talking about a good use of the acreage owned here by MCCTC board.”
The project was finished on time and within budget, and Iarussi and Karlovic each said it is the smoothest building project in which either of them has been involved.
Opening the center in Canfield also means more income-tax revenue for that city, Iarussi said.
The new center was constructed under a design-build process, which streamlines procedures.
MS Consultants of Youngstown was the criteria architect. Hammond Construction of Canton and Olsavsky Jaminet of Youngstown were the design and construction team.
The 25,000-square-foot center is equipped with state-of-the-art technology.
The ESC employs about 700 people with 100 working at the center. The others, including about 300 substitute teachers, are assigned to districts as needed.