YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - In an effort to strengthen school transportation and prepare for a districtwide reconfiguration, Youngstown City Schools approved a two-year contract with Community Bus Services during a special board meeting Tuesday.

The contract provides additional supervision and mechanic support to address ongoing staffing shortages and fleet maintenance challenges. It supplements the district’s existing agreement with the bus service provider and will take effect Aug. 1.

“We’ve had some buses fail inspection and things of that nature,” Superintendent Jeremy Batchelor told 21 News. “We needed some support with that, and Community Bussing is going to help us with that—but also with supervision to make sure our staff gets the appropriate support they need.”

The district says the contract will not interfere with its collective bargaining agreement and is structured to provide operational stability heading into the 2026–27 school year, when Youngstown’s reconfiguration plan is set to take effect. That plan includes merging East and Chaney middle and high schools into single institutions housed in the current East buildings.

Currently, Youngstown City Schools only provides transportation for students in kindergarten through eighth grade. High school transportation was cut in 2024, and students now rely on public transit or other means to get to school. The new contract aims to lay the groundwork for reinstating high school busing in 2026, though Batchelor did not make a formal commitment.

“They committed—this is a two-year contract—that they’re going to help us be able to get things ready to roll, to bring back high school transportation,” Batchelor said.

The board also took action on financial leadership, naming Ava Yeager—chief of school improvement—as interim treasurer. Yeager will fill the role while the district restarts its search for a permanent treasurer following an unsuccessful round of candidate interviews.

“We feel good about the person that we have during the interim,” Batchelor said. “But we don’t want to overstretch her.”

Community Bus Services is expected to begin assisting with training and support this week as the district prepares for the first day of school.