Youngstown schools fall to fiscal emergency

The Ohio auditor has placed Youngstown city schools in fiscal emergency, a move that will trigger the appointment of a five-member Fiancial Planning and Supervision Commission that can essentially take over control of the district.

The state put Youngstown under fiscal caution in March and downgraded that to fiscal watch in June after the district failed to file an acceptable financial recovery plan.

The downgrade to fiscal emergency today didn't come as a surprise. The district still hasn't submitted an acceptable recovery plan and voter rejection of a 9.5-mill levy earlier this month only makes Youngstown's financial condition worse.

District officials said they expected the action but are hopeful the state will work with the school board and administration in working out ways to reduce spending.