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Terminating ex-principal of Chaney pulled from school board’s agenda
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Erik Thorson served as principal of Chaney High School in the 2010-11 school year.
By Denise Dick
Youngstown
The agenda for Tuesday’s city school board meeting included a resolution to consider terminating the contract of Erik Thorson, principal of Chaney High School last year.
The resolution, though, was pulled from the meeting agenda during the board’s caucus.
Lock P. Beachum Sr., school board president, said the board wanted more information from Superintendent Connie Hathorn and the school board’s legal counsel. Hathorn had another engagement and didn’t attend Tuesday’s meeting.
Beachum declined to state the reasons Thorson’s termination may be considered.
Thorson, who formerly worked in Cleveland schools, worked less than one year as Chaney principal. He was hired last September, after the start of the school year, and earned about $70,120.
Last March, the board renewed Thorson’s contract at $85,003. Two months later, he was placed on paid administrative leave.
The district didn’t publicly specify the reasons for the leave.
At a meeting earlier this month, board members unanimously voted to hire Richard A. Gozur as Chaney principal for the 2011-12 school year. He’ll earn $81,088. Gozur previously served as principal at Campbell Memorial High School from 1994 until retiring last year.
Chaney changes from a traditional high school to a visual and performing arts and Science, Technology, Engineering and Math school beginning this school year.
The school will house students in sixth through 12th grade who had to audition and be interviewed to be accepted.
About 330 students will attend the first year.
The district has hired two consultants — one for VPA and one for STEM — who are working through the summer to prepare for the start of the school year.