Panel supports YSU early college

A student trustee said the plan will mean a stronger YSU-city schools bond.
& lt;a href=mailto:viviano@vindy.com & gt;By JoANNE VIVIANO & lt;/a & gt;
VINDICATOR EDUCATION WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- A trustee committee from Youngstown State University endorsed a plan Tuesday that will create an Early College High School at YSU.
Approval followed three hours of considering financial ramifications and discussing whether high school pupils are mature enough to commingle with college students.
The Youngstown Early College, set to open in YSU's Fedor Hall in fall 2004, will represent a collaboration between the Youngstown City Schools and YSU, and will allow at-risk high school students to graduate with up to 60 college credits under their belts -- enough to earn an associate degree or status as a college junior.
"This is a population I have worked with all my life ... and I know what they're capable of doing, and they can rise to the occasion," said Trustee Millicent S. Counts, who also is executive director of the United Methodist Community Center. "If we don't feel we can take the risk -- I think it's a proven fact -- we're going to build more prisons, because we're going to pay now or we're going to pay later."
Visit changed mind
Trustee H.S. Wang, vice chair of the board's finance and facilities committee, also voiced support, saying his mind was changed by a recent visit to a college-based high school near Pittsburgh.
"Many times that's the only place they feel safe," he said. "At least they see some hope here."
Attending the committee meeting in support of the project were Youngstown Superintendent Benjamin L. McGee and Assistant Superintendent Wendy Webb, along with other school administrators. Also voicing support were members of the Mahoning Valley Vision for Education, and the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber. Former Trustee Eugenia Atkinson, who is executive director of the Youngstown Metropolitan Housing Authority, also attended.
They touted the project as something the community wants and needs and a way to increase Youngstown's graduation rate, spur the economy and keep young, educated people in the community.
"It's a wonderful project and a wonderful opportunity for this university to be part of the metamorphosis I think is going on in this community right now," Atkinson said.
More support
Besides YSU President David Sweet and Provost Tony Atwater, support has come from Education Dean Philip Ginnetti and Arts & amp; Sciences Dean Robert Bolla, who has helped create the school proposal. Further support comes from Tom Shipka, chairman of the YSU Academic Senate, and U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, D-17th.
Trustees discussed financing in depth, with Larry E. Esterly, chairman of the finance and facilities committee, refusing to vote for the project unless trustees are able to review and ratify a memorandum that spells out the separate financial responsibilities of each group. After an amendment to a trustee resolution, the measure passed unanimously.
Roughly $360,000 in start-up costs for a three-year implementation process will be provided by the Cincinnati-based KnowledgeWorks Foundation, supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Beyond that, the school must be supported by the school district and YSU.
Projections that show YSU's financial responsibility estimate that the university will be in the black through fiscal year 2008.
The bulk of funding comes from state sources that provide per-pupil dollars at the high school level and per-student dollars at the college level. Bolla said holes in funding would be addressed by the federal government, foundations and private donors.
Maturity issue
Among other issues was the maturity of high schoolers.
"It seems like quite a stretch. ... I cannot for the life of me imagine some 14- or 15-year-old coming on campus and thriving," said Trustee Charles Cushwa. "I think that would be difficult. It will require a high level of maturity."
"You have to see it to believe it," answered Sweet, referring to a recent trip he made to a Phoenix, Ariz., high school based on a college campus.
Student Trustee Charity Pappas, a special-education major, said college students will provide role models that the younger students will want to follow. She also said education would benefit from the "field work" interaction with inner-city schoolchildren.
"There's a split in our community between YSU and Youngstown city schools. Everything is broken down," she said. "It's nice to see an effort to combine the two."
& lt;a href=mailto:viviano@vindy.com & gt;viviano@vindy.com & lt;/a & gt;