YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Ursuline High School began the 2022-23 school year with an enrollment increase and now has 500 students.
The largest high school in the Diocese of Youngstown, the school also increased its endowment fund and now boasts a market value of $7.3 million, according to Carolyn Korenic, director of alumni and advancement.
The endowment makes tuition affordable for any family, she says. Ursuline currently has 118 scholarships in its endowment, including six that were newly funded in 2022. During the 2021-22 school year, 275 Ursuline students received financial aid totaling $560,000.
New to the curriculum for the 2022-23 school year is broadcast journalism, Korenic says. A section of the library has been transformed into a television studio for the Irish News Team. Students enrolled in this course produce a weekly newscast about the school.
Major renovations to the gymnasium and auditorium were completed in 2022. The gym’s ceiling was repaired and painted and the floor was refurbished. New sound systems were installed in both the gym and the auditorium.
A major renovation of the auditorium is in progress that includes an overhaul of the stage rigging and the installation of a digital marquee and new lighting.
The school also completed a $150,00 safety upgrade that included the installation of fire doors that automatically close when the alarm is activated. Improvement projects will continue this summer with fire door replacement, the upgrading of exit doors and the installation of additional security cameras.
Ursuline’s tradition of academic excellence continued in 2022. Korenic says the school had 100% pass rates on exams for Advanced Placement biology, calculus AP, chemistry, computer science principles, drawing, English literature, and Spanish. The school’s overall pass rate of 88% is well above the statewide rate of 61%.