Youngstown schools open houses log low attendance

By Denise Dick

denise_dick@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

City Schools Superintendent Connie Hathorn plans to meet with principals to devise ways to get parents more involved with their children’s education.

Most of the schools have wrapped up open houses, the annual events at the beginning of the school year at which parents and families visit their children’s schools, meeting teachers.

“I’m glad for those [who] did come, but I’d like to see more,” Hathorn said.

Chaney Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics and Visual and Performing Arts School has 544 students in grades six through 12 based on a recent head count. Only 200 people attended the open house.

At Harding Elementary School which includes more than 400 students so far this school year, 83 people came to the open house.

Discovery at Volney, on the other hand, a new program this year, has 137 students in grades three through eight, but the open house drew 152 people, according to the school district.

The program offers students exposure to STEM, arts, Spanish and other areas in addition to core-curriculum classes.

Discovery at Kirkmere, which offers the same programs and is in its second year in the district, has 270 students, but only 71 people attended that school’s open house.

Taft and Williamson Elementary schools have 377 and 392 students, respectively, as of last count. Their respective open houses drew 20 and 80 people.

“It could have been the time of day or the day of the week,” Hathorn said of low attendance.

He said he’ll consult with leadership teams at the various schools about how to get parents more involved.

“We need parents to be involved in their kids’ education,” the superintendent said.

It’s a partnership, he said.

“Education starts at home,” Hathorn said. “We only have them five to six hours per day. Parents have to be involved to make sure they do their homework, get to bed on time, get to school on time.”

It’s especially important for younger children, he said.