The Youngstown City School District has announced phase one of its district reconfiguration plan during a press conference Friday afternoon.

During the press conference, Superintendent Jeremy Batchelor said the goal of this reconfiguration plan is to "ensure every student has a robust academic program, high quality instruction and cohesive school identity" while the school uses its resources responsibly and sustainably.

Phase one of the plan will see all juniors and seniors either choose a pathway at Choffin Career and Technical Center or enroll in College Credit Plus courses starting next school year.

Additionally, beginning in the 2026-27 school year, the district will "unite" its two traditional middle schools and two traditional high schools and rename them while still maintaining its middle and high school early college programs.

The current East High School site will hold the new unified high school and the current East Middle School site will hold the new unified middle school.

"These two building have the capacity to handle our enrollment that we have right now, they have the facilities that we need and they account for growth, realistic growth," Batchelor said.

As for what those buildings will be called and what those schools' mascots will be, that will be up to the public to decide.

Batchelor went on to say this more will allow the district to expand course offerings, expand its career and technical programs and hopefully expand its College Credit Plus programs.

Batchelor then teases phase two of the project, which would move its early college high school and middle school into the old Chaney High School location. This is expected to happen in the 2027-28 school year. 

There will be a dedicated website at YCSD.org with all relevant timelines, updates and visuals for the project, along with the option for the public to provide feedback. The first opportunity to provide feedback will be a May 27 Board meeting where the public can comment.

"We will do town halls, we'll have some targeted family nights where we can focus on sports and what that looks like in the future, [along with] the arts, academics and schedules," Batchelor said.

Batchleor says following the two-phase project, the redistricting committee will continue to meet and look at other buildings and other things that can be condensed and work with partners to lease or sell empty buildings for community partners to provide services the district doesn't provide.