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Community members provide insight into city schools plan
By Denise Dick
YOUNGSTOWN
About 60 people – parents, city council and school board members, school personnel, students and community leaders – offered their insight and opinions about how to improve the city school district.
Tuesday marked the first community stakeholders meeting convened by Krish Mohip, chief executive officer of the city school district, who took office last week.
Mohip, the first schools CEO, was charged in the Youngs-town Plan legislation to gather input from a stakeholders group called within 30 days of his starting the job. He has 90 days to submit a district improvement plan to the academic distress commission that appointed him.
Mohip and administrative personnel will develop the plan that will include stakeholder input to make the district “a shining example of what happens when a community comes together to support students and families,” he said.
Attendees were divided into groups and asked to answer eight questions. Each group was to reach consensus among themselves for their answers.
The questions dealt with attracting students and the best teachers, ways to support students and families, school programs and qualities students need upon graduation.
The CEO traveled among the groups, listening to the conversations.
“We’re going to take the information and look for themes that were seen on all conversations,” Mohip said.
One discussion heard among several groups was school transportation. The district doesn’t transport students who live close to the schools, but those same children are bused by the district to charter and community schools.
Busing should be available to all district elementary students, one group said.
Members of another group believe the district needs to make itself available during hours when parents can attend meetings and events.
“Youngstown City Schools need to make supporting families a top priority,” said Lydia Walker, whose children are city school students.
In another group, members talked about opening up the schools and facilities for community members more often, even in the summer.
“We need to make the schools become the focal point of our community,” said Joseph Meranto, director of Choffin Career and Technical Center.
High expectations for students, providing appropriate technology to students and faculty, teaching life skills and financial literacy were some of the ideas generated among the groups.
Tuesday’s meeting isn’t the last time community members will be able to provide input. Mohip plans to schedule more stakeholder meetings.
“My commitment to you is we will not stop listening,” he said.