The top reported proficiency rate is 51% in Social studies. The lowest is 18% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Youngstown Academy of Excellence
Youngstown Academy of Excellence is a small charter school serving kindergarten through eighth grade in Youngstown, with an enrollment of around a few hundred students. The school's student body is predominantly Black and Hispanic, reflecting the city's composition. Detailed demographic data on free-or-reduced-price lunch eligibility, special education enrollment, and English learner status were not available.
The school's academic results show pronounced weaknesses. On Ohio's State Tests in the 2024-25 school year, proficiency in math was very low, with only a small fraction of students meeting or exceeding proficiency standards. English language arts performed better in relative terms but still fell well below typical benchmarks, with roughly a third of students proficient. Science proficiency was similarly limited. When compared against other districts across Mahoning County, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile among county educational entities. The most recent state test data available is from the 2024-25 school year; no multi-year trend data was available to assess whether these results represent improvement, decline, or stability.
A critical context for families considering this school emerged in mid-2024. In June, the U.S. EPA issued an administrative order against the school's operator, ACCEL Schools Ohio LLC, after confirming the presence of deteriorating asbestos and suspect lead paint in the building. The EPA also found that the school lacked a required Asbestos Management Plan. These findings led to a temporary campus closure; the school underwent federally supervised inspection, abatement, and clearance work and reopened on schedule in mid-August 2024 under continued EPA oversight. This is an ongoing facilities and compliance matter that any family evaluating enrollment should understand fully and discuss directly with school leadership.
The school's location in Youngstown places it in a post-industrial city navigating long-term population decline but showing signs of targeted downtown and university-adjacent revitalization. Downtown and the Youngstown State University corridor are increasingly walkable, with growing numbers of restaurants, cultural venues, and housing conversions, though the surrounding residential neighborhoods remain car-dependent and marked by vacant land and older housing stock.
A parent weighing this school may want to look into the current state of facilities remediation efforts, the school's academic improvement trajectory and support structures for struggling learners, and how the asbestos and lead paint response has affected operations and school culture as students and families return.
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