School board is failing

School board is failing

EDITOR:

To the voters of Youngstown: “Let us be clear: the status quo will not do.” This sentence was the last paragraph in the Vindicator editorial of Aug. 10. No other words could have described the mess that the Youngstown Board of Education has made of our school system. Now, for the fourth time the board is going to ask us voters to approve a 9.5- mill levy to try to bail them out of the financial abyss they have created. Here are some things to consider whether you vote yes or vote no on the issue:

The board has not come through with the second round of financial cuts they promised. They have all kinds of committees working on finances — including one appointed by the governor to reduce costs. To date, except for the board to ask the governor to dismiss the $25 million it owes the state, little or no progress has been made.

The high school curriculum for students not planning to attend college is “as old as the hills” and is completely out-of-date. Too much energy, time, and expense is put on either the top 5 or bottom 5 percent. Give the 90 percent a break — teach and prepare them. Students need to be stimulated with teaching that will make them like going to school, not hating it.

The Youngstown school district will again lose students to area schools offering open enrollment, every one taking $5,000 or so with them. Businesses are not coming in and families are not moving in to a city with the sorry mess our schools are in.

The board does not have the time, know how or expertise to run a school system the size of Youngstown.

Revitalizing downtown Youngstown is a wonderful idea but until our high school graduates are given a worthwhile education to train them for a job in the business world instead of a jail term we’re headed in the wrong direction. We need the best leadership and we need it now before we lose what little we have left.

WILLIAM GRAEBING

Youngstown

WRTA success story

EDITOR:

How Important is the WRTA Levy?

Without the passage of the WRTA levy my special needs multi-handicapped class from Hayes Middle School would miss many new and exciting life experiences. This is our only form of transportation in which we can travel weekly to venues that help enhance our education.

We teach everyday life skills which at times are necessary to do outside the classroom. We also have done numerous hours of volunteering. We are able to take the WRTA to the Playhouse, Butler art museum, YSU campus, and the YSU planetarium to name only a few. Since an MH class is no more than 8 students it’s not financially possible to hire a bus from our school system.

Without the WRTA and the kindness of Jim Ferraro, three special needs classes would not have had a fabulous picnic at the end of the past school year. Mr. Ferraro made it possible for my class to be picked up by a small WRTA van and transported back to Hayes.

No matter where you live or what you do you or someone you know may already use or may need to use the services of the WRTA. I’d gladly give up a few dollars during the year to put that money towards passage of the levy.

CYNTHIA SWITKA

Youngstown