More input offered schools CEO

By Denise Dick

denise_dick@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

City school students have been underrepresented at the two community stakeholders meetings to gather input to the district’s chief executive officer, but Krish Mohip plans to rectify that.

Monday marked the second of three such meetings called by Mohip to gather input for the academic plan he’s charged with developing. About 30 people attended; 60 were invited.

Last week’s meeting drew about 60 people, representing, parents, community and school district employees. The final stakeholders meeting is set for July 18.

“We’re taking the information and triangulating the data and eventually I’ll have a report of trends,” Mohip said. “That will help in developing plan to move the district forward.”

After next week’s meeting, the CEO will move the process to the district schools. He’ll set meetings at the schools at different times to try to talk to students and parents.

“One group we have not heard enough from is students,” Mohip said.

He has spoken to some students including those at the weekly dinners he’s had with families.

He’s heard from some of those older students that they want more opportunity for extra-curricular activities such as sports.

The transformation of a school district is a community endeavor, Mohip said.

“It doesn’t just happen in the schools,” he said. “It happens in the community. It happens in families.”

Attendees to Monday’s gathering were divided into groups and asked to answer several questions about family support, how the district can attract and retain students and course offerings. Groups answer the same list of questions at each of the stakeholder meetings.

Elia Nieves, a parent who attended, has three sons: one at East High, one at Taft Elementary and one at the Chaney Campus. Nieves listed as her concerns the nutrition of school breakfast and lunch, parental involvement, use of substitute teachers and the importance of Choffin Career and Technical Center.

“Choffin is a place for escape for kids,” she said. Her son is in Choffin’s welding program and he’s doing well.

“He’s gotten A grades,” Nieves said.

The boy didn’t like school, but he enjoys the welding program and looks forward to that each day.

“My son had wanted to be a police officer, but since he tried welding, he wants to do that,” she said. “He loves it.”