Board to sponsor charter school for targeted group

The school is for pupils who aren't likely to graduate in a traditional setting.
By HAROLD GWIN
Vindicator education writer
YOUNGSTOWN -- The Youngstown Board of Education has agreed to sponsor a new charter school that will temporarily take up residence in the Choffin Career & amp; Technical Center.
Dr. Wendy Webb, superintendent, said the Mahoning Valley Opportunity Center, which could start classes in a few weeks, will target older high school pupils in grades nine through 12 who have little chance of earning a diploma.
The school is looking at 18- and 19-year-olds who have earned only a few credits toward graduation and are more likely to drop out of school than complete high school, Webb said.
That's a group that the Youngstown City Schools really aren't equipped to deal with effectively, she said, estimating that 75 or 80 Youngstown pupils might fit the charter school's criteria.
Youngstown is working on programs of its own to reach those individuals through the Small Schools concept, which breaks up the district's three high schools into three small schools, each with a greater emphasis on supporting the individual, according to Webb.
The charter school can fill that niche now, she said.
Eligibility
Joyce Brooks, a member of the new school's governing board and also a member of the governing board of the Mahoning County Educational Service Center, said the school will be open to any pupil in the county who fits the criteria outlined by Webb.
Enrollment is strictly voluntary, and the school needs to have at least 25 pupils to qualify as a a state charter school. Brooks said no firm enrollment projections have been made yet.
No teachers have been hired, she said, explaining the governing board was awaiting the school district's sponsorship before making any commitments.
The governing board is interested in the welfare of pupils in this area and this project is designed to fill a particular gap in the educational system, she said, thanking the Youngstown board for entering into the arrangement.
It will start at Choffin until another location is found.
Sponsoring the school will bring Youngstown some remuneration, Webb said, noting Youngstown will be paid a 3 percent management fee. Just how much that will be has to be determined by enrollment and operating costs, she said.
Finances
Youngstown will lose more than it gains, as each pupil who enrolls in the charter school will take state subsidy money with him or her. Youngstown will lose about $5,300 per pupil, Webb said. That money would be lost anyway if the targeted pupils decide to drop out of school, she noted.
The sponsorship contract is for one year. If Youngstown doesn't like the charter school's performance, it can withdraw its sponsorship, Webb said.
Youngstown school board members unanimously approved the plan but made it clear they have some reservations. They asked for monthly updates on the school's operations, including the number of pupils, any finances Youngstown has to commit, teacher and administrative hirings and their salaries, school location and pupil performance.
Webb said Youngstown won't have any control over the school, which will be run only by its governing board.
gwin@vindy.com