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The school district opened two new specialty programs this school year which meant additional staff
By DENISE DICK
YOUNGSTOWN
This year’s alignment of city school programs comes with the addition of 39 new administrators, teachers and staff — and the district has to figure out how to pay for it.
“Thirty-nine additional staff is significant,” Treasurer James Reinhard said at a school board meeting Tuesday. “It’s $2.5 million per year in addition to what we’re currently spending.”
For example, the district opened Discovery 2 at Volney and Discovery 3 at East, two specialty programs this school year.
The Volney program is for third- through eighth-graders and meant two administrators, four special-education teachers and 9.5 regular teachers.
The program at East, for seventh- and eighth-graders, meant an additional administrator, four special-education teacher and 10 regular education teachers.
Reinhard said a meeting among administration members is set for today to determine where money may be trimmed from other areas.
“Can we justify it with an increase in enrollment?” asked Marcia Haire-Ellis, a board member. “Where are we in enrollment?”
Superintendent Connie Hathorn said enrollment as of this week is down 700 students at 4,457, but it was down by about that same number at this time last year too. The district’s enrollment last year ended up about 5,400.
He said district personnel are trying to contact students’ families to determine where they are and urge them to return to school.
Haire-Ellis said the district's treasurer has pointed out that the district has a lot of people in administration for a district of its size.
“We’re going to put everything on the table,” Hathorn said.