Superintendent scores ‘satisfactory’ for job

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Youngstown City Schools superintendent Dr. Wendy Webb

By Harold Gwin

The evaluation prompted the board to issue three goals for the superintendent and treasurer.

YOUNGSTOWN — The city school superintendent has received a “satisfactory” job performance rating from the city school board.

Anthony Catale, chairman of the board’s personnel and public relations committee, announced at Tuesday’s school board meeting that Wendy Webb scored an overall grade of 5 on a scale of 1 to 9 in her evaluation.

“That’s considered satisfactory,” he said, declining to elaborate on what problem areas board members pinpointed in the evaluation that resulted in that score.

“I will consider the things they asked me to do and move forward from there,” Webb said after the meeting, explaining that the board focused on more community involvement and working more closely on the budget to prevent overspending.

Webb’s last evaluation in November 2007 resulted in a “commendable” finding by the board, an indication the board was pleased with her performance.

On the same night it was presented, the board granted Webb a new three-year contract that didn’t take effect until Aug. 1 of this year. Her salary remains at $122,500 a year for the life of that agreement.

Three of the seven members on the board at that time are no longer serving, and three new members — Catale, Richard Atkinson and Michael Murphy — have taken their places.

Catale also announced that Treasurer William Johnson scored a 3.8 on a scale of 1 to 5 on his evaluation.

Catale said the board also set three generalized goals for both the superintendent and treasurer resulting from the evaluation.

For the superintendent, the goals are to be sure spending doesn’t exceed revenues, build more credibility with community stakeholders and prevent the further loss of district pupils while finding ways to draw kids back to the city schools.

For the treasurer, the goals are to present financial reports at every board meeting, match spending with revenues and strengthen contact with community stakeholders.

Two board members expressed reservations about the sets of goals.

Jacqueline Taylor said she didn’t recall that the board agreed to them, and Richard Atkinson said he thought the issue was to be discussed further by the board.

Catale and other board members said it was their understanding that a consensus was reached on the issues at an Oct. 7 board executive session.

gwin@vindy.com