Whitehall-Yearling High School
Classes of 1958 to Present
Whitehall City Schools
Whitehall City Schools is proud to announce the opening of its second Student Success Store, located at Whitehall-Yearling High School. The ribbon-cutting ceremony took place on Wednesday, February 5, and was attended by Mayor Michael Bivens, School Board Member Lorena Lacey, multiple Whitehall City Council members, and State Senator Hearcel F. Craig.
The first Student Success Store opened at Rosemore Middle School in the fall of 2023, and in just one year, it has made a significant impact. Since its launch:
- $13,524 worth of essential items have been distributed
- 9,055 items have been provided to students
- 784 students have access to the store
- 363 students have received support
The Student Success Store provides free access to food, hygiene products, school supplies, and clothing for students in need. The goal is to remove barriers to learning by ensuring students feel confident, equipped, and ready to succeed.
Tracey Colson, director of school improvement and family services at Whitehall City Schools, introduced the concept after seeing its impact in a previous district. After collaborating with the nonprofit Student Success Stores and receiving generous support from Discover®, Whitehall City Schools launched its first in-school store.
Following the success at RMS, the district recognized the need for expansion, leading to the opening of the WYHS location near the cafeteria. Volunteers from Discover, Student Success Stores, and Whitehall City Schools helped transform the space, painting the walls orange in recognition of Discover’s support and stocking shelves with much-needed supplies.
The Student Success Stores operate with a dignified, student-centered approach. Students shop alongside a trusted adult in a way that ensures privacy and respect. Data from the program shows that access to these resources increases student attendance and fosters a stronger sense of belonging.
The nonprofit, which began in 2016 with three stores in Central Ohio, now supports 14 schools and continues to grow as the need increases.
Whitehall City Schools is grateful to Student Success Stores, Discover, and all of our community partners for making this expansion possible. Together, we are creating an environment where all students have what they need to thrive.
To read about Student Success Stores: https://www.studentsuccessstores.org/partners
* New Whitehall City Schools (WCS) Website *
https://www.wcsrams.org
Amada Isenberg, WCS Director of Communications & Marketing, launched a new & impressive WCS website. It is your 1-stop website with updated WCS information featuring not only District News & Calendar, but also links to: Athletics, District Directory, Employment Opportunities, Family resources, etc.
The WCS new Mission, Vision & Goals are on the homepage.
WYAA's link is on the "For Community" Tab & features: Link to WYAA's alumni website, WYAA's Accomplishments button & our upcoming Casino Night Fundraiser.
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We are thrilled to announce that Whitehall City Schools has been awarded the Ohio Career Technical Education (CTE) Equipment Grant of $1.77 million. This grant will provide much-needed resources to enhance our educational offerings and create new opportunities for our students.
Grant Overview and Impact
WCS has been awarded this grant to implement and expand Career Technical Education pathways. We currently have no Career Tech Education Pathways outside of approximately 85 students attending the Eastland-Fairfield Career Centers. However, this grant will change that by providing essential equipment and support to establish robust CTE programs in our district.
New CTE Pathways
We collaborated with Eastland-Fairfield Career Center to submit applications for two new pathways: Medical BioScience and Engineering & Design. The Project Lead the Way (PLTW) framework will integrate these pathways into our curriculum.
Enhancing Curriculum and Resources
With the help of $28,000 in PLTW grants already secured for curriculum costs and teacher training, this new grant will allow us to purchase the remaining equipment needed for the Biomedical and Engineering pathways. This includes new technologies and the ability to embed industry-recognized credentials in each pathway. We will work closely with our industry partners to select the equipment and technologies that will most benefit our students' future career success.
Key Initiatives
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Creation of Career Pathways: Both Biomedical and Engineering, which will allow for industry-level experience and training.
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College and Career Ready Labs: Introducing Paxton Patterson College and Career Ready Labs to increase college and career awareness for middle school students.
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Virtual Reality Training: Purchasing Umety VR headsets and digital content for virtual simulations and career training.
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Career Readiness Progression: Developing a PK-12 career readiness progression to expose students to various career options throughout their education.
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VEX Robotics Club: Starting a VEX robotics club to support the Engineering pathway and engage students in STEM activities.
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Industry Credentials: Embedding industry credentials such as CPR, Autodesk Fusion, CompTIA+, NCCER, OHSA, Phlebotomy, STNA, and more into our pathways and curriculum.
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Internship Partners: We have partners from over 10 Medical and Engineering companies that will create internship opportunities for our students.
Future Focus
Whitehall Yearling High School has already held successful Future Focus Days, bringing industry professionals to interact with students. The Supervisor of Alternative Programs will expand these events and introduce similar initiatives at the middle school level.
This grant is pivotal to creating comprehensive CTE programs within Whitehall City Schools. These programs will give our students the tools and opportunities to succeed in their careers.
We are excited about the incredible opportunities this grant will bring to our students and our district. Stay tuned for more updates as we implement these exciting new programs!
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* Whitehall City Schools Score 3 Stars on their 2023-24 Report Card *
Congratulations to Superintendent Wells & the WCS faculty & students for achieving their goal of a 3 Star Rating! WCS improved from 1 Star in 2021-22 to 3 Stars in 2023-24.
WCS has greatly improved over the past 3 school years. Below are a few interesting WCS facts that are listed on the Ohio State report card. As you'll see, there are challenges the school district faces if they want to achieve all their goals by 2030.
- 100% of WCS students are 'economically disadvantaged'
- % enrollment is: Black: 42.5; Hispanic: 29.6; Students with disabilities: 19.4; White: 17.7; Multi-racial: 9.7; Asian: .4%.
- Good progress in our K-3 with K-3 students improving their reading scores at the end of the 2022-23 school year 57.9%!
- There's a gap where WCS is not at the state's average student per educator in nurses, school psychologists, interpreters, social workers,
- Math & English performance need improvement,
- Chronic absenteeism made its improvement goals,
- District mobility is 17%,
- Wellness & physical education needs to improve.
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* WCS Pre-K Playground is Accessible for Special Needs Students *
One of the requirements for the new Pre-K playground was to be accessible for ALL students. So special designs were made to access the playground & house with ramps & a rubberized floor.
Habitat for Humanity provided the material to build 2 playhouses & WYHS students built & painted the houses. A great partnership & learning experience between a community organization & our schools!
Whitehall City Schools' special students enjoy their new playground!
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