Committee recommends two for interim superintendent

By Denise Dick

denise_dick@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

A committee recommended to the full Youngstown city school board that the former superintendents of the Brookfield and Warrensville Heights districts be considered for the post of interim superintendent.

The board president, however, believes appointing an interim is a wasted step.

The board will choose the interim superintendent. No plans have been announced for a permanent superintendent.

The committee – which includes city school board, academic commission and community members – on Monday recommended Marva Kay Jones, Warrensville Heights superintendent from 2010 to 2014, and Stephen Stohla, former superintendent of Brookfield and Alliance schools, to the full board as candidates.

“Their experience as superintendents came through,” said Joffrey Jones, academic commission chairman. “They were both very competent and were easy with their answers.”

Both also indicated they are anxious for the opportunity, Jones added.

The state wanted an interim superintendent appointed for six months because of timing, said Brenda Kimble, board president. This time of year, most superintendents who were job hunting already have secured employment for next school year, she said.

An interim would allow time to find a quality superintendent to move the district forward without a rush, she said.

But Youngstown already has someone who can fill that position in the short term. “We already have a deputy superintendent,” Kimble said. “Part of the job of the deputy superintendent is to fill in for the superintendent.”

Douglas Hiscox, deputy superintendent for academic affairs, has been appointed superintendent pro tempore.

Jones said Hiscox applied for the job, but he withdrew his application. “I think it’s best we go from the list of those that applied,” he said.

Connie Hathorn, superintendent since 2011, resigned, effective June 30, to become superintendent of Watson Chapel Schools in Pine Bluff, Ark. With accumulated vacation time, his last day in office was May 29.

The committee – Kimble and Michael Murphy from the school board, Joffrey Jones and Paul Williams from the academic commission and Celeste Bryant, Camille Pinkard and the Rev. William C. King of Price Memorial African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church – received nine applications for the interim superintendent post and narrowed that list to four to interview.

The committee interviewed those four, some in person and some via Skype, on Monday. The school board meets today, although a vote to pick an interim appears unlikely.

“The board will have the opportunity to interview them to find out who they think will be the best fit for our district,” Kimble said. “This doesn’t guarantee that any of these people will be chosen. This is just the first step.”

If board members don’t like any of the applicants the committee recommended, another search would be required, the board president said.

Jones said he doesn’t know what will happen if the board rejects both recommended candidates.

“We’ll decide that when we come to it, if we come to it,” he said.

Finding Leaders of Cleveland was paid $1,500 to conduct the search. The firm was selected by the Youngstown City School District Academic Distress Commission.

“I just think we could have used those funds better,” Kimble said.

The district isn’t in the dire financial straits it was a few years ago, but that’s because of careful monitoring of spending, she said.