YOUNGSTOWN - The Youngstown Area Jewish Federation asked the Youngstown City School District to annex the upcoming Goldstone-Mirkin Family Middle School from the Liberty Local School District to keep the Akiva Academy in one school district.

The building is located within the Liberty Local School District, while the Akiva Academy sits in the Jewish Community Center, which is in the Youngstown City School District.

For an annexation to occur, both school districts would have to pass a motion to accept it.

If an annexation does not occur, the middle school would need to apply for a separate charter with the state.

YCSD provides busing for Akiva students, but would be unable to provide busing to the middle school.

The YAJF broke ground on the building in March of 2025 after it purchased the former Allen's PharmaServe building.

As of now, construction for the middle school is complete.

YAJF CEO Lisa Long says the Akiva Academy is a Kindergarten through 8th Grade school, and the building would house 5th through 8th graders.

"Right now, we average about 50 kids per grade, so we're looking to move about 60 kids right across the street from the Jewish Community Center," she said.

Long adds that the goal is to offer more space to older students.

"Our 8th graders, when they're getting ready to go to high school and really becoming their own people, they're still in the building with the kindergarteners, and they really want their own space," she said.

Of the over 180 children that attend the academy, about 100 live in Youngstown, according to Long.

Long hopes to have the middle school operational by the Fall of 2027.