Guidance counselors to seek ways to increase scholarship numbers

The school board's first student members took their seats at the meeting.
By HAROLD GWIN
VINDICATOR EDUCATION WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Nearly 20 percent of Youngstown City School District's 2005 graduating seniors earned a total of nearly $2.8 million in college scholarships.
The scholarship totals are continuing to increase, but the district isn't where it should be, said Pamela Logan, the district's supervisor of guidance/home schooling.
Logan reported the latest scholarship data to the school board Tuesday, saying that a district the size of Youngstown should see its seniors securing between $4 million and $5 million in college scholarship aid each year.
All of the district's seniors are given scholarship information, but some do nothing with it, she said, stressing that students must be willing to take advantage of financial offers.
The district's guidance counselors are meeting Thursday to discuss the latest scholarship report and look for ways to motivate students to go after more funds, Logan said.
What's in report
Her report showed that the lion's share of scholarship aid was secured by students at Chaney High School, double what The Rayen and Woodrow Wilson students secured together.
The fact that Chaney has partnership programs with Thiel College and Wooster College, which makes college financial aid much more available to Chaney students, is the major factor in that disparity, Logan said.
Youngstown is trying to create similar partnerships with colleges for Rayen and Wilson, she said.
Her report contained a year-by-year breakdown from 2001 through 2005 that showed some decline in scholarship aid to Rayen and Wilson students but an overall growth in the amount received across the district.
Youngstown graduating seniors secured $1.6 million in aid in 2001 and that number rose to $2.79 million this year.
Michael Write, board vice president, was pleased the report was being made public. It will encourage others to go after scholarship funds, he said, suggesting that the report results be made billboard size to publicize them.
A breakdown of the 2005 figures shows that 43 of 197 seniors at Chaney secured $1,858,902 in scholarship money; 31 of 189 seniors at Rayen got $725,958; and 12 of 140 seniors at Wilson received $206,946.
Other actions
In other business, the board introduced its first student school board representatives who will serve as nonvoting members on the board.
Each student represents one of the high schools, and a student from Youngstown Early College will be added next year.
The students will serve on committees, have town hall meetings in their individual buildings, and participate in the district decision-making process.
The goal is to have the students be part of everything the board does, Write said.
The students are Ashley Macklin, a junior at Chaney and the daughter of the Rev. Lewis W. Macklin II and Dorothy L. Macklin; Victoria Lightfoot, a senior at Rayen and the daughter of Rhonda Cashe; and Bradley Williams, a senior at Wilson and the son of Kathryn McFrazer.
The three were selected from a list of about 150 student applicants for the posts, based on essays, interviews and their involvement in student leadership and other programs.