VIENNA — School has been out for nearly a month, and one school administrator provided updates as the district prepares for the new year — namely in the improvements department, noting a plethora of them.

At Tuesday’s meeting, the Mathews Board of Education heard from Mathews High School Principal George Garrett, who said students’ schedules have been finalized ahead of the 2026-27 school year, with parents being notified of any conflicts in their schedules via email or phone call.

Garrett said the school will continue its partnership with the Warren-Trumbull County Public Library to have its in-house rotating book collection.

“They move about 300 books each quarter through the school, and have them available for us to use,” Garrett said. “Which is a lot — it’d be very expensive to do that in-house.”

Garrett said the district is relocating unused lockers from the district’s field house, which have been moved around to different areas but are in some of the best shape for the district.

Garrett said those lockers will have a new home as freshmen lockers in the high school building, as the old ones are at the point where school officials can no longer buy parts for them.

“They’re actually larger, (so) we’re pretty happy about that — very thankful for partnerships we developed over the past few years, as well as the opportunities,” Garrett said. “We’ve benefitted directly from John Lacy, the director of business operations at Warren City Schools, as well as the Warren-Trumbull County Public Library. They’ve both been very helpful partners, providing a lot of opportunities — everything from slightly-loved furniture to brand-new athletic jerseys — that was a nod we got last year, a recommendation from Warren’s manager over there.”

Garrett said school officials have fallen into a relationship with Amazon’s Bazetta warehouse, who cold-contacted Superintendent Russell McQuaide via email.

“I called them, and they asked if we wanted some lockers, and we look for things, so I said, ‘Sure,'” Garrett said. “I didn’t realize they were bringing brand-new lockers that had never really been used.”

Garrett said he was curious because three Amazon vans pulled up to the school, and school officials had to bring them into the building via the elevator.

“I thought they were going to be slightly used ones, so those are being located in our locker rooms for the boys and girls over here,” Garrett said. “There’s going to be a set in the referees’ room and one set at the field house for all the coaches to use down there, to keep things in there.”

Garrett said the lockers have a PIN-type padlock.

Garrett said Amazon called him about chairs a week after he thanked them for the lockers, so the school has a bunch of new classroom chairs now.

Garrett said he got the district on the radar of Jeremy Batchelor, Youngstown City Schools superintendent, noting that district is reconfiguring their buildings, in case they have items they’re moving on from that would benefit Mathews.

“They know we’re all going through tight budgets, and with them condensing their buildings, I thought it would be an opportunity,” Garrett said.

Garrett said he’s also excited to work on the high school cafeteria’s facelift, hoping to paint, add several linked televisions, furniture and a few other unnamed improvements, which is from the classes of 2024, 2025 and 2026.

“All the class presidents agreed to do this, and it’ll be some of those students helping to volunteer,” Garrett said.