Youngstown plan to save schools to launch with new panel selection

YOUNGSTOWN — The “Youngstown Plan,” a restructuring of city school governance, begins to kick in 90 days after it’s signed by Gov. John Kasich.

The plan, approved this week by the state Legislature, abolishes the Youngstown City School District Academic Distress Commission and establishes a new five-member panel in its place.

State Rep. Sean O’Brien of Bazetta, D-63rd, said it’s not a plan exclusively for Youngstown. It’s intended as an overhaul to the academic distress commission legislation. Right now, though, only two districts have such a commission: Youngstown and Lorain.

“We still have to come up with a Youngstown Plan,” he said. “We’re going to still get together and work on it.”

O’Brien said Kasich and others in Columbus have been concerned about Youngstown schools and want to help.

“We have a commitment from Columbus – the governor, members of the Senate and the House – to work on helping Youngstown,” he said.

Three of the five members will be appointed by the state superintendent of public instruction, one member will be selected by the mayor, and the fifth member must be a city schools teacher appointed by the school board president.

Appointments to the new commission will be made within 30 days after district notification. Within 60 days after the state superintendent designates a commission chairman or chairwoman from his appointees, the commission will appoint a school district chief executive officer to run the district.

For the complete story, read Friday's Vindicator and Vindy.com