City schools’ search for super stalls | News, Sports, Jobs

YOUNGSTOWN — The Youngstown City School District’s superintendent search may not be much of one at all, if new school board President Tiffany Patterson can persuade enough board members to support one resolution ending the search process, and another for hiring CEO Justin Jennings.

Patterson wants votes on the issue at the Feb. 22 board meeting.

The board in December, under the leadership of then-president Ronald Shadd, voted to allow the Ohio School Boards Association to conduct a search for the district’s next superintendent. The board at that time wanted to have the person in place by July 1, when it starts taking back operational control of the district from the state.

Jennings, at the time of the school board vote, was a contender for an associate superintendent position in the Akron City Schools.

After Akron’s school board received negative letters from unspecified people from Youngstown schools, however, Akron’s board delayed the vote to hire Jennings. He later withdrew his name from consideration.

Shadd believes it will take a two-thirds vote to overturn the board’s decision to hire the OSBA to do the superintendent search.

NO CONTRACT

Although the Youngstown Board of Education approved the resolution to hire the OSBA to do its superintendent search in December, it has not officially contacted the organization to begin the search.

“There has not been a contract signed to do a search,” Cheryl Ryan, director of OSBA’s board and management services. “I heard Youngstown wants us to do a search, but we have not been contacted about it.”

Ryan said the cost for OSBA to do a superintendent search is $9,000 plus expenses, and to do a treasurer search the cost would be $7,500, plus expenses.

OSBA is doing six superintendent and treasurer searches for districts across Ohio.

Ryan said it would be better for the district to contact OSBA now, rather than waiting.

“This is the time,” she said.

NEW BOARD

Last year, two board members, Jackie Adair and Shadd, each of whom had been, at best, lukewarm to the hiring of Jennings as superintendent, were defeated in November’s election.

With their losses the board has two new members, Kenneth Donaldson and Dawn Turnage.

Patterson during last week’s board meeting stated that hiring Jennings now would take the issue of the next superintendent off the table, enabling the board to focus on improving district academic standards. It also would save the district the cost of doing the searches, and hiring Jennings as the superintendent would reduce the cost of his salary because the state would pick up the costs for three years, as Youngstown emerges from state control.

Jennings in his current position as CEO earns $190,000 per year.

Patterson also argues the plan that the state will be using to judge whether the district should move out of academic distress and under a CEO model to total local control was primarily created under Jennings’ leadership and work.

Longtime board member Kimble argued the board should have more executive-session discussions on hiring of personnel. Kimble also had formerly served as the school board president.

“I don’t think any more executive sessions are needed,” Patterson said.

Based on statements made during last year’s election campaigns, two of the newest board members may be inclined to vote to name Jennings as the superintendent if given the opportunity.

Donaldson in October told The Vindicator that he would support hiring Jennings as the superintendent. “I believe it is better to hire a quarterback who already knows the system, rather than bring in someone who will have to learn over the next two to three years,” he said at the time.

Turnage, at the time, supported the board considering Jennings. “I believe Mr. Jennings should be considered as one of the possible candidates for the superintendent, if he is interested. He has the educational qualifications and a focus on the best interest of our scholars and a knowledge of the area,” she said.

Jennings last week repeated his desire to be named the superintendent.

Jerome Williams, who has served two board terms, recently said the next superintendent should be motivated, have a track record in the position and have a willingness to think outside of the box.

“We have one time to do this right,” Williams said. “Why not do a search? It is ridiculous not to do one. The best candidate will rise to the top.”

Williams argued when the CEO was hired that the state did not approach the board.

“It makes no sense not to see what the options are,” Williams said.

Board member Tina Cvetkovich said Youngstown voters elected her to represent the entire community, so she believes the district should commit to a search for the next superintendent.

“We should see all viable candidates,” Cvetkovich said. “We want the best man or woman for the job. If that happens to be Mr. Jennings, then I’ll be very very supportive. I want community buy in for whomever is selected.”

Cvetkovich said the board owes it to the community to have a search.

“The request for a vote was a surprise,” she said. “We were blindsided. It was unfair to the board as a whole.”