Original Research by School Decision on Labrae High School
LaBrae High School is a small, traditional four-year public high school serving students grades nine through twelve in Leavittsburg, a quiet residential area along the Mahoning River in Trumbull County. The school is part of the LaBrae Local School District, a consolidated system serving both Leavittsburg and the neighboring township of Braceville, with high school, middle school, and intermediate school all housed in a single campus complex on North Leavitt Road.
The enrollment is modest—roughly three hundred students spread across the four grades, with notably more tenth graders than any other class. More than half of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic character of the district's communities. The student body is predominantly white, with a small number of students from Black, Hispanic, or multiracial backgrounds. Data on students with individualized education plans or English learners was not available.
On the most recent state assessments, LaBrae's results show a mixed profile. In English language arts and social studies, the school achieved solid proficiency rates, with performance in social studies noticeably stronger. Science proficiency was respectable. Mathematics proficiency, however, came in well below the other subjects, a gap that may warrant conversation with the school about support structures and how instruction is approached in that area. A parent considering this school may want to look into what curriculum and support systems the school offers in math and whether additional tutoring or interventions are available for students who need them. Because this is the most recent year of data available, it is not yet clear whether these results represent a trend or a one-year snapshot.
State testing data was provided; a four-year graduation rate was not available in the records we reviewed. Chronic absenteeism rates were also not supplied.
Leavittsburg itself is a small, car-dependent community with a long history of population decline. The housing stock is predominantly older, much of it built before World War II. Housing in the area is relatively affordable compared with state and national benchmarks, and the real estate market shows signs of modest demand. The local commercial presence is limited to a small cluster of older businesses along West Market Street and near the Mahoning River; working-age residents commute to larger employment centers in the surrounding Youngstown-Warren region for jobs in retail, healthcare, and administrative services.
For families already in or considering the area, two property-tax changes of substance have occurred recently. In late 2023, voters approved a replacement permanent improvement levy by a razor-thin margin. This levy, which began collection in March 2025, dedicates recurring funding to maintenance and renovation of school buildings and facilities—the high school complex chillers, roof work at the intermediate school, the district bus garage, and the aging elementary building. Simultaneously, the debt service from a bond that financed the original LaBrae Complex expired in December 2024 after final payment. Because the district had been phasing down the bond millage in preceding years, homeowners saw a net reduction in school-related property taxes beginning in 2025, even with the new permanent improvement levy in place. This is a meaningful change for any family weighing whether to buy or stay in the district; overall school taxes have decreased rather than climbed.
LaBrae High is embedded in a consolidated school campus rather than in a downtown. The setting is residential and quiet, suited to families comfortable with a rural or semi-rural small-school environment and those who do not depend on walkability or public transit. The school serves a community experiencing sustained population loss and limited in-town economic activity, a reality that shapes both student demographics and the school's operational context.
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