Gordon James principal loses job

LORDSTOWN -- The demise of the Gordon D. James Career Center has claimed its first victim.
The school board declined to renew the contract for Roland W. Purnell, career center principal, at a meeting Wednesday. His contract expires July 31.
"Because of the circumstances, as effective as Mr. Purnell has been, despite the quality of service he's given and as good an administrator as he's been for the district, there isn't the opportunity for him next year," said schools Superintendent Ray Getz.
The career center, which provides vocational education for students in Lordstown, Niles, Howland, McDonald and Weathersfield high schools, is expected to close at the end of this school year.
The contract that covers the career center compact expires at the end of June. Late last year, Niles rejected a new five-year contract in favor of an affiliation with the Trumbull County Career and Technical Center.
Because Niles sends the most students to the career center and therefore pays the most in tuition, the other districts couldn't make up the costs to keep the center operating.
Lordstown, McDonald and Weathersfield also plan to join TCTC, while Howland plans to send its students to the career and technical center in Ashtabula County.
Effect on teachers: The center's closure is expected to leave 25 teachers without jobs. Some of them with seniority and the appropriate teaching certification will be able to bump into positions at the elementary and high schools.
That will move another teacher out of a job.
More teaching and staff positions are expected to be axed because of the district's financial condition. It's been in fiscal emergency since December 2000, and a state fiscal commission has been overseeing district finances since early 2001.