No problems as seniors return to East High today

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

It wasn’t a normal school day, but East High School reopened to students Thursday with no problems reported.

Seniors returned two days after a series of fights Tuesday closed the school through Wednesday.

“We’re phasing it in by grade level,” said Principal Denise Vaclav Danko. “We’ve had a very productive day.”

On Thursday seniors took part in conflict-resolution sessions, hearing information from members of the community including Guy Burney of the Community Initiative to Reduce Violence.

The remainder of the school day was spent preparing students to take the Ohio Graduation Test next week.

“We have 155 seniors, and 65 of them need to pass some part of the OGT,” the principal said. “We had 90 here” Thursday. “That’s exciting.”

Students must pass all parts of the state-mandated test to graduate from high school.

“My concern is the state assessments,” Vaclav Danko said.

Seniors resume their regular schedule today, and juniors return and will get similar conflict resolution instruction and OGT preparation.

Underclassmen return Monday.

“We’re also going to provide the opportunity for senior leaders to speak to underclassmen about choice, universal expectations, responsibility, being engaged,” Vaclav Danko said.

They’ll also highlight the importance of academics.

School personnel identified senior leaders Wednesday.

So far, two students have been charged in Mahoning County Juvenile Court for their roles in the fights. Arraigned Wednesday on a charge of assault before Magistrate Anthony D’Apolito was Carlos Esteban Uribarry, 17, of Grandview Avenue. Arraigned on a charge of disorderly conduct was Tyrica Stephens, 15, of West Chalmers Avenue.

At the end of the school day, buses awaited the students on a rainy afternoon as they were told by a school official to “keep walking” and avoid talking to a Vindicator reporter. A photographer and videographer were told to stay off school property as they tried to talk to students about what they learned during the day.

The Vindicator was told that a pass is needed from the board of education to be on the property to talk to students.

While getting on the bus, one student yelled to a reporter: “I love East High.”

Read more about the situation in Friday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.