TCTC Director Honored as Administrator of the Year

CHAMPION, Ohio – Paula Baco, Trumbull Career & Technical Center high school director, has been named the 2024 Northeast Region Administrator of the Year by the Ohio School Boards Association.

The accolade recognizes outstanding leadership and dedication in educational administration.

Baco has served at TCTC for 22 years, driving progress and fostering a supportive learning environment, a news release states. She has been in administration since 2013 and was named director of the career center in 2021. 

Baco and the school have achieved the following accomplishments:

• Baco was the 2021 recipient of the High Schools That Work Career Technical Education Leadership Award.

• In 2021, she led the opening of an on-campus health and wellness clinic where students can be referred for basic care at no cost to families or students through the use of Student Wellness and Success Funds from the Ohio Department of Education.

• The district earned the 2022 Gene Bottoms Pacesetter School Award for improving graduation outcomes from the Southern Regional Education Board at the annual High Schools That Work national conference. The school increased its percentage of students employed after graduation from 65% in 2017 to 75% in 2020, and the number of students earning credentials before graduation increased from 73% in 2017 to nearly 87% in 2020.

• Baco helped TCTC become a fully integrated digital learning environment. The school became nationally recognized after receiving its first Apple Distinguished School award in 2017. With three consecutive multiyear recognitions, TCTC remains an active Apple Distinguished School.

• TCTC’s waiting list has quadrupled over the past three years, from 47 students in 2021-22 to 116 in 2022-23 and 226 in 2023-24.

• In 2023, 29.2% of students obtained 250-plus hours of work-based learning experiences, compared with 21.1% in 2022. In 2024, the school launched a week-on, week-off program where students can work off-site with an employer for a week and attend school the following week.

• During her leadership, several curriculum changes occurred to accommodate shifting occupation demands. These include launching a dental assisting program and three newly structured programs: Culinary Arts Academy, Education and Family Services and Fire and EMS Academy.

• In 2022, TCTC opened its doors to ninth- and 10th-grade students for the first time by launching the Early Innovators Academy. The new academy adds 100 students to TCTC’s overall enrollment.

• In 2023, TCTC renovated the Culinary Arts Academy kitchen. The remodel includes a collaborative teaching lab and additional space to increase enrollment capacity. The school also began construction on a new Equestrian Center with an estimated completion date of December 2024. The former structure did not include classroom instructional space, heat or restrooms. The new center will provide students in the program more instructional time with less time spent on facility management.

• Baco spearheaded the addition of three new programs that open this school year. In collaboration with the Trumbull County Educational Service Center, TCTC will launch an Aviation and Drone Technology program with the help of a federal grant received by the ESC. In addition, TCTC opened Digital Marketing & Management and Industrial Technology programs.

• Baco and her administrative team seek competitive grants to support the expansion of in-demand programming and student needs. With her involvement, the school has obtained $7,842,500 in improvement grants from 2022 to 2024.

“We are incredibly proud of Paula and this well-deserved recognition,” said Jason Gray, TCTC superintendent. “Her unwavering commitment to our students, faculty and community exemplifies the qualities of an exceptional leader. This award is a testament to her hard work and dedication.”

Baco will be honored at the OSBA Fall Conference on Oct. 2 at the Galaxy Restaurant in Wadsworth, Ohio. For more information about the conference and to learn more about the award, click HERE.

Pictured at top: Paula Baco, TCTC high school director.

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.