City awaits applications for Chaney High dean position

By Harold Gwin

YOUNGSTOWN — The city school district is looking for a new dean for Chaney High School.

The human resources office began publicly advertising the post over the weekend.

Damon Dohar, assistant superintendent of human resources, said applications from both inside and outside the system will be considered.

No applications had been filed as of Tuesday morning, Dohar said. The filing deadline is next Tuesday.

The position was vacated in December by Robert Spencer, who resigned, citing only “personal reasons” as his explanation for stepping down while Chaney was midway through its first year as a remodeled and expanded high school. The expanded school serves both students from Chaney and about half of the high school students from Woodrow Wilson High School, which closed permanently in June 2007.

Spencer, who had retired from the city schools as Chaney principal in 2002, had been rehired by the district to serve there.

His vacant post was filled temporarily by Claude Bentley, another retired city school administrator, who had come back to work as a utility administrator where needed.

Bentley finished out the year at Chaney, working with deans Pete Lymber and Edna Douglas.

Dohar said Bentley already had retired once from the city schools — he retired as principal of The Rayen School in 2002 — and the district is looking for someone who can make a long-term commitment to the system.

Dohar said Lymber and Douglas will remain in their posts this fall along with the third dean selected to replace Spencer.

The position is advertised as “Dean of Student Behavior,” and it’s an 11-month contract with a starting salary listed at $74,008.

That number could change, based on the experience level of the individual hired, the advertisement said.

In addition to the necessary state licenses, the new dean must have the ability to work within an administration team structure, have strong communication, leadership and organizational skills, have a successful experience with discipline in the classroom or as an administrator and have the ability to be a community leader.

Chaney had some issues with discipline during its first year of transition, and Dr. Wendy Webb, superintendent, said the school and the community forged a collective effort to turn things around.

The school had about 1,200 students when it opened last fall, and Dohar said he anticipates enrollment this fall will be at a similar level.

gwin@vindy.com