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Youngstown school board OKs costs to reopen Volney
By Denise Dick
YOUNGSTOWN
The city school board approved more than $234,000 in material and supply expenses to reopen Volney Rogers as a Discovery school next year and hired several administrators.
The money for Volney covers iPads, computers, laptops and library replacement materials to turn the building, which was closed this past school year, into Discovery 2, a choice program for third- through eighth-graders. The program, patterned after Discovery at Kirkmere, which opened this past school year, offers specialty courses in Spanish, engineering/math, visual arts, performing arts, investigative science and creative communications, in addition to core curriculum classes.
Board member Jacqueline Adair cast the only vote against the resolution for the expenses, saying she’s concerned about costs.
“The [Academic Distress] commission may have wanted this, but the commission doesn’t have to answer to the taxpayers in this city,” she said.
Adair said she’s concerned about the overall effect the reopening of the school — including personnel costs — will have on the district’s budget and wants more information.
“We need to look at this very carefully,” she said. “We need to have a more in-depth discussion about this.”
Marcia Haire-Ellis, board member, said she understands concerns about money.
“I think it’s good for us to have a brand new building open again,” she said, adding that many in the community weren’t pleased when that school was shuttered.
The board also approved Superintendent Connie Hathorn’s recommendations to appoint eight administrators.
Tryvan Leech Sr. will be the new principal at East High School, earning $87,560 annually. He’s a freshman principal at Princeton High School in Cincinnati. Linda Reigelman, who is a principal at a school in Rhode Island but is relocating, will be the principal at Discovery 3 at East, earning $89,323 annually.
Renee M. Foerster, a principal in the Copley-Fairlawn Schools who also is relocating, will be Williamson Elementary School’s new principal. Her annual salary will be $78,745.
Eboni Williams, a social studies teacher at Chaney Campus, will be an assistant principal at that school, earning $64,641 annually.
Michelle R. Payich, a physical education teacher at Chaney will be an assistant principal at Discovery 2 at Volney, earning $64,641 per year while David T. Bermann, a teacher at McGuffey Elementary School, will be an assistant principal at that school. His salary will be $66,405.
Timothy S. Filipovich, an employee of the Mahoning County Educational Service Center, was hired as the executive director of teaching and learning. He’ll earn $89,323 per year.
Susan A. Paris, was hired as chief of food services, and will earn $65,817 annually. She’s been an employee in the food services department in the school district.