The Valley STEM + ME2 Academy’s mission

Our Mission is to prepare students in 9-10 grade with the skills necessary to compete in the global economy while nurturing the characteristics of discovery, invention, application, and entrepreneurship.

Valley STEM+ME2 Application Process:

For questions, contact Mara Banfield, Superintendent, Valley STEM + ME2 Academy at mara.banfield@mahoningctc.com, or Cassandra Psaras Counselor, at cassandra.psaras@mahoningctc.com

There are no academic admission criteria – all students who apply during that time have an equal chance of being accepted (unless on the list of students given preference-see below).

Once all applications are received, if there are more applicants than seats available, students will be chosen via blind lottery. Students who are not admitted through the lottery are added to a waitlist in their lottery order. Any student who applies after the initial application period will be added to the end of the waitlist. In the event that by the lottery date and time there are more open spots than applicants, all applicants who have applied for lottery positions shall be admitted, and any other students who apply after that time will be admitted on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Submitting an application does not guarantee acceptance into the Valley STEM+ME2 Academy. Students’ placement, or rank order, on the waitlist will be by lottery assignment followed by the order in which a completed application was submitted after the initial application period.

Should a currently accepted student choose not to attend, the Director of the Academy may, at their discretion, choose to admit a student from the waitlist, in the order noted below, into the Valley STEM+ME2 Academy.

If a student applies, and we are unable to get a hold of the applicant to confirm enrollment, the spot will be given to another applicant after 3 unsuccessful attempts. Students will not be fully admitted until the enrollment packet is completed. Failure to submit paperwork by the designated time will result in forfeiture of the spot.

Student Requirements For Application Acceptance:

• The student must be an Ohio resident at the time of application;
• At the end of the 2022-2023 academic year, students must be recommended for advancement to the 9th grade or 10th grade by their present school.
• Students must not have been expelled from their previous school

Students will be admitted on a lottery basis, with the following students given preference:

• Students attending the school the previous year (no re-application needed)
• Siblings of students who attended the school the previous year, or who have been admitted for the upcoming year If a lottery takes place,
• if siblings apply together, one student getting admitted automatically admits the siblings
• Students whose parents/guardians work at MCCTC, or Valley STEM

Student Application Guidelines:

Applications MUST be completed in their entirety in order to be considered. Aside from the requirements listed above, an accurate and fully completed application is the only criteria for acceptance to the waitlist. The information gathered by the application will not be used to determine waitlist acceptance or rank, rather it is used to process necessary enrollment paperwork and to learn about the applicant prior to the start of the academic year. All paperwork must be submitted for full enrollment.

Incomplete applications will not be considered. An email will be sent upon receipt of the application. This notification will indicate if the application was complete. The completeness of an application will be determined on a case-by-case basis and is determined at the sole discretion of the Director of the Academy. Falsification of any information may disqualify an applicant from being entered into the lottery or being accepted. All applicants will be scheduled for an interview.