Youngstown school board's bickering continues, as new CEO clarifies process

YOUNGSTOWN

There were disagreements about the agenda, complaints from parents about busing and calls for members to behave.

It was a city school board meeting with no discussion of boosting students’ academic performance.

Tuesday’s regular meeting started with disagreement about approving the agenda.

Corrine Sanderson said board policy dictates that members get at least four days to review anything that was added to the agenda since a draft was distributed last week.

Items added were four resolutions to appoint Brenda Kimble, board president, a delegate to the National School Board Association; appoint Jackie Adair a delegate to the Ohio School Boards Association, appoint Jerome Williams to both the Youngstown Tax Incentive Review Council and as city legislative liaison.

Hiring of many district employees also were added since the draft agenda was distributed. That included tutors, administrators and teachers.

Mohip said board members’ votes are recommendations to him. He’s in charge of personnel employment.

“This is basically me informing you of who’s on staff and when they start,” he said.

Later, two parents, Megan Mercado and Melvin Young, expressed aggravation about their respective children riding the bus.

Mercado, whose 5- and 13-year-old sons, ride the bus, have to walk a considerable distance to the bus stop.

“His bus stop is at the spot where his cousin was killed,” she said of her younger son.

Getting to the bus stop requires him to walk through neighborhoods she doesn’t think are safe, she said.

Mercado said she’s spoken to other parents who have the same concerns.

“This is why you’re losing kids in this district,” she said.

Mohip said dry runs through the bus routes were supposed to ensure that bus stops weren’t in bad areas.

Young said he waited with his daughter, a student at Rayen Early College Middle School, at the bus stop for two hours Monday, the first day of school. No bus came.

He called the district and was assured the problem would be addressed, but no bus came Tuesday either. His daughter, who Young says loves school, cried the second day the bus didn’t pick her up.

When the bus was driving the girl home, the driver tried to make her get off at different spot from where her bus stop is.

“I would like someone to do something,” Young said.

Mohip directed staff to review the tape from that bus to find out what the driver said. If a bus driver didn’t follow procedure he or she will be disciplined, he said.

Read more about the meeting in Wednesday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.