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Schools in city recall 21 teachers
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NOT A HAPPY CAMPER: Anthony Catale, president of the Youngstown Board of Education, said the district’s academic emergency rating on its state local report card is “absolutely unacceptable.” The district will be working to improve academic performance, he said at a Tuesday press conference.
Two-thirds of those laid off in June will be back in the classroom Tuesday.
YOUNGSTOWN — The city school board has recalled 21 teachers it had laid off at the end of June.
The district notified 31 teachers in the spring that they were being laid off in a reduction in force move caused by declining student enrollment.
There have since been a number of retirements and resignations, leaving a large number of teaching spots to be filled, said Anthony Catale, school board president.
The board recalled 21 this week and may recall a few more, he said, explaining that the district’s human resources department has indicated it still needs a couple of science teachers at the secondary level. Classes start Tuesday.
The district now has 585 teachers; it had 850 on staff just six years ago.
The ranks of teachers, as well as other district employees, have been significantly reduced over the last three years as Youngstown seeks to recover from its fiscal-emergency status. More than 500 jobs have been lost as the district cut sending by more than $30 million.
The district has always been conservative in terms of spring layoffs, said William Bagnola, president of the Youngstown Education Association, the teachers’ union.
It doesn’t want to be caught with excess staff at the beginning of the school term, and so lays off more than are necessary, usually calling some of them back as classes begin, he said.
Teachers must be informed by April 30 of each year of layoffs, he said.
The recalls are good for everyone — the students, the district and the teachers, Bagnola said.
“There have been unexpected retirements,” he said, explaining that helps account for the high number of recalls.
A number of veteran teachers are leaving earlier than expected, many apparently because of concerns about the financial well-being of the State Teachers Retirement System, which will be paying their pensions.
The STRS has taken a big financial hit because of the economy and its investments in the stock market, and discussions at the state level have included possible changes, such as raising the minimum retirement age for benefits from 55 to 60 and stopping the annual cost of living adjustments made to pensions, Bagnola said.
None of those proposals have happened yet, but veteran teachers are concerned, he said.
The recall list includes 10 tenured teachers and 11 limited contract (year-to-year) teachers.
Those recalled and their assignments are:
Tenured
Gail Bartholomew, guidance.
Larry Ellis, elementary.
Shalynn Keller, elementary.
Kathleen Kelly, elementary.
Jodi Kosek, elementary.
Tami LaPaze, elementary.
Anthony Lordi, elementary.
Patricia Lutz, elementary.
Janice Rumbaugh, elementary.
Wanda Smith, guidance.
Limited contract
John Budai, elementary.
Lisa Diamandis, elementary.
Lisa Francis, elementary.
Darlette Killa, elementary.
Rachel McDougal, elementary.
Linda Panda, elementary,.
Patricia Romack, elementary.
Rachel Schmidt, elementary.
Violet Simpson, elementary.
Annie Terry, elementary.
Joseph Zappia, elementary.
gwin@vindy.com