YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - In the Youngstown City School District the NAACP, parents, and retired educators are accusing the School Board of setting educational standards too low for students.

They will be sending letters to parents and the Ohio Department of Education, stating that the academic plan presented by Youngstown's board has inferior benchmarks, goals, and expectations.

The President of the Youngstown, Mahoning County NAACP held a sign stating,"Educational Genocide."

"Education is the foundation for being self sufficient. If you don't have a bood education you can't become self sufficient. They are prejudging students, said James Brown, President of the NAACP Youngstown, Mahoning branch,
 
Advocates for education and people representing parents joined them outside a school board meeting saying Youngstown's board has presented a plan to the state for inferior benchmarks, goals, and expectations.

Jimma McWilson, owner of F.A.M.L.Y. Empowerment Student Achievement Institute said, "The goal of this thing in math is by 2025 sixteen percent of the third, fourth, and fifth grade levels proficient, sixteen percent. Would you go home and allow your kid to have that kind of goal?"

They say this sends a message that sells Youngstown's students short.

"We send a message to the kids they can't do it and that's wrong because they can. When you set the benchmark low that's where they'll go and that's where they'll stay. When a mother puts cookies in a cookie jar and puts them up high, your going to go up high, your not going to go to the bottom cuobord for them. We need to set achievement high so that all they have are high expectations. They can do it, and they will," emphasized Lois Thornton, a retired principal and educator.

Youngstown's School Board President says the district has to start with where the students really are academically, and build from there, adding students lost a year due to the pandemic. He emphasizes 16 percent proficient is the minimum not maximum goal they are striving for.

"We expect our students to exceed all the targets of these we have, for these years. The beauty of this plan is we have the ability to go back and make changes to increase those numbers," said  Youngstown School Board President, Ronald Shadd.

The Ohio Board of Education approved the report with five suggested changes.

Brown added, "Under this plan 84 percent of these students will be non proficient, what are they going to do? They have to make the benchmarks higher. It shouldn't take four years to do it. Steubenville does it with 100 percent poverty."

McWilson said, "Steubenville spends around $7.500 dollars a student, and provides a quality education, while Youngstown spends around $12,000 per student for an F rating. What they've done with this plan goes beyond horrible. As long as your striving for the bottom your going to reach it."

The board's plan is expected to be submitted to the state by the end of October with some changes. Protesters say parents and the state sholud reject this plan.