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CEO, not the city school board, will decide about lawsuit
By Denise Dick
YOUNGSTOWN
Regardless of how the city school board voted, it’s up to the district’s CEO to determine whether to pursue a lawsuit regarding the Youngstown Plan’s constitutionality.
The board is advisory, said Krish Mohip, district chief executive officer since last month.
“They can make a recommendation, but ultimately, it will be my decision,” he said. “Whatever I decide will be in the best interest of the kids.”
That comes as a surprise to Michael Murphy, school board vice president.
“I didn’t know it was up to him,” he said. “I wasn’t aware of that. I don’t know. I’ll have to talk to him.”
Board members voted 3-4 at Tuesday’s regular meeting against withdrawing from the lawsuit filed last summer by the school board, its employee unions and a teacher who lives in the district against the Ohio Department of Education.
That motion was made by Corrine Sanderson and she, Jackie Adair and Dario Hunter voted in favor with Murphy; Brenda Kimble, board president; and members Ronald Shadd and Jerome Williams opposed.
The lawsuit challenges the constitutionality of the Youngstown Plan, also called House Bill 70. That law established a new academic distress commission. That commission selected Mohip as district CEO to develop a strategic plan for bringing the district out of academic morass. It’s up to him to develop this plan with community input , and he has broad authority to do so.
Control over finances, for example, including payment for legal bills, falls under his jurisdiction.
Among the issues Mohip will consider in making the decision is the lawsuit’s cost to the district.
The amount spent hasn’t been released, but Adair at Tuesday’s meeting put the number at $200,000-plus.
Mohip said the lawsuit isn’t foremost in his mind.
“My focus right now is getting school started and getting the strategic plan together by early September,” he said.