Youngstown City Schools to close three buildings

[jay]

A story on the tv news today stated that ten years ago the Youngstown School System had 10,000 students.  Today the enrollment is 5,300 students.

[northside lurker]

10 years won't tell the whole story.  The first levy for new schools was passed in what, 2001?

If this site has figures for the whole district, I can't find them.  But here is the profile for Chaney. http://www.schooldigger.com/go/OH/schools/0451602063/school.aspx
Where it says "overview" "map" "rankings" etc., click on "students" and it will give you enrollment figures going back to 1988.  IMO, it tells the story for the whole district, more or less.  There was some drop-off during construction, and a lot of drop-off after students from other closed schools were brought in.

[jay]

Does anyone have Youngstown City School District enrollment figures for the past ten to twenty years?  Just how sharp was the downward trend?

[northside lurker]

I don't think the board (or the state) could have anticipated such a steep decline in student enrollment.

I have no problem with being critical of the board, or any elected official, but we can't blame them for not being able to see unexpected changes in the future.

As for charter schools, locally, they don't rank any better than the public schools.

[Rick Rowlands]

Lease it to a charter school!

[jay]

I believe the cost to construct Volney was about $13.5 million.  I'm not sure if that included the cost to demolish the old school building which was over $400,000.  In any case, the closing of Volney is a terrable waste of our tax dollars.  Past Boards of Education should have anticipated the decline of enrollment and not have sold the public on a false need for so many new school buildings.

[Towntalk]

This story doesn't make sense:

On the one hand:

"Under his plan, both P. Ross Berry and Volney Rogers and University Project Learning Center would close next year."[/font]

Then:

"Volney would be considered for a choice school."

If the Board of Education moves from its current location to the P. Ross Berry building, what will happen to the old Rayen High School building on Wick Avenue? It is connected to and is part of the Board of Education complex.

If the Board is going to abandon the current complex, they should sell or give it to the University. It would be an unspeakable crime if they were to allow that historical building to just stand there and rot away until it had to be demolished.

[jay]

Close Volney Rogers?
This building is only 5 years old.   

[Billy Mumphrey]

New Youngstown City Schools restructuring plan for 2013-14

http://www.vindy.com/news/2013/mar/06/superintendent8217s-new-plan-restructure/?nw