Austintown Local Schools board approves reduction in force citing financial restructuring

The Austintown Local Schools board on April 21 unanimously approved a reduction in force of teaching personnel at the end of the 2025–26 school year, citing restructuring prompted by financial reasons. The action was made "upon the recommendation of the superintendent" and passed after a motion that was moved and seconded.

The board directed the treasurer to provide notice to employees prior to April 30, 2026, and to take any actions necessary to implement the reduction in force "in accordance with the current bargaining unit agreement and/or applicable law." The motion as recorded in the meeting transcript did not specify the exact number of positions affected; that number was not specified in the record.

Board members recorded their votes verbally during the meeting: Mr. Sherwood (Yes), Mrs. Smrek (Yes), Mr. Markum (Yes) and Mr. Porter (Yes). The transcript shows the action carried on a unanimous vote; the mover and seconder were not identified by name in the record.

Why this matters: a reduction in force can affect staffing levels, class sizes and program delivery for the district. The implementation must follow the collective-bargaining contract and state and federal employment laws, and affected employees were to be notified before the April 30, 2026 deadline stated by the treasurer.

The board provided no additional details in the public portion of the meeting about how many teachers will be affected or which schools or grade levels will see reductions. The district’s further personnel actions, any required hearings or recall processes and the specific list of affected staff were not specified in the meeting record.

Next steps: the treasurer will issue notices and carry out required administrative steps; any appeals, negotiations or recall processes would proceed per the bargaining agreement and applicable law and were not covered during the meeting.