Chaney dean applicants abound

By Harold Gwin

Most of the applications came from educators outside the school district.

YOUNGSTOWN — There is no lack of candidates for a vacant dean’s post at Chaney High School.

Damon Dohar, assistant superintendent of human resources in the Youngstown city schools, said 37 applications have been received for the post created by the resignation last December of Robert Spencer.

The plan is to have the post filled in early August in preparation for the fall start of classes, Dohar said.

Most of the applications came from outside the school district, he said, noting that seven came from current employees.

The candidates are being screened and the list will be narrowed to about a dozen who will be invited for interviews, Dohar said, adding that he hopes to have a recommendation to present to the school board Aug. 12.

“We have some pretty good candidates we want to talk to,” he said.

Spencer stepped down at midyear, saying he was leaving for “personal reasons.” Dr. Wendy Webb, superintendent, assigned utility administrator Claude Bentley to the post for the remainder of the school year.

Both Bentley and Spencer were retired Youngstown school administrators who had returned to work for the district.

Bentley completed the year, working with two other deans at Chaney — Edna Douglas and Pete Lymber.

Dohar said Douglas and Lymber will retain their posts and be joined by a new dean.

The advertised title for the post is “Dean of Student Behavior,” and the district is offering an 11-month contract at a salary of $74,008, although the salary number could change based on experience level.

The district advertisement announcing the job said that applicants must have successful experience with discipline in the classroom or as an administrator and have the ability to be a community leader.

Chaney, expanded and remodeled in a $25 million project, served high school students last year from both Chaney and about half of the former Woodrow Wilson High School, which closed at the end of the 2007 school year.

The building had about 1,200 students last year.

gwin@vindy.com