No more central office cuts planned

YOUNGSTOWN — A common complaint from opponents of a proposed 9.5-mill tax levy rejected by voters earlier this month was that the city school district is   top-heavy with administrators.

Even a member of the board of education said his constituents voiced that concern to him, suggesting that the district needed to trim the number of administrators working in the central office building at 20 W. Wood St. before asking voters to approve a tax increase.

Estimates by levy opponents on the number of central office administrators started at 50 and went up from there.

There might be 50 or more people working in the building, but the administrators number only 30, and nine of them are personnel who do not work with academics, said Dr. Wendy Webb, superintendent.

Combined, they are drawing salaries totaling just under $2.3 million this year, according to figures provided by the district.

Of that amount, just under $1.7 million is coming out of the general fund budget of about $106 million. That’s just over 1.5 percent.

Webb said the district did eliminate a total of 20.5 administrative positions earlier this year in a series of job reductions and other cutbacks that eliminated a total of about 100 spots to the tune of $8.5 million. Youngstown sought to reduce spending to combat its budget deficit, which reached $2 million in the fiscal year ended June 30.

Among the administrative cuts were six central office jobs. The cuts were all made through retirements and resignations, said Germaine Bennett, assistant superintendent for human resources.

“We eliminated some top-paying salaries,” Webb said, pointing out that a vacant assistant superintendent’s post and a vacant director of instruction position were among the cuts made.

That workload had to be shifted to other administrators, she said.

The district is looking at an additional $14 million in cuts over the next couple of years. Although some building administrative positions might be eliminated, the plan doesn’t call for any central office reductions at this point.