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City school board members bicker
By Denise Dick
YOUNGSTOWN
They approved a few resolutions, recognized school- crossing guards and bickered.
The topic at the heart of the back and forth Tuesday among city school board members was a work session from last week.
That session was halted when Dario Hunter, a board member, questioned the legality of the meeting notice.
Hunter contended that the notice should have stated the meeting’s specific purpose. The advisory listed “work session” – which has been the standard for the announcements of the monthly work sessions.
No action is taken at work sessions.
At Tuesday’s meeting, Hunter asked Jackie Adair, who heads the board’s policy committee, about the policy regarding meeting announcements. He questioned if board leadership had violated board policy.
Adair said the policy says special meeting announcements must list the date, time, place and purpose of the meeting. That’s why last week’s work session was halted. It was rescheduled for Monday and an appropriate announcement was issued.
“It has nothing to do with board leadership,” said Brenda Kimble, board president.
Meeting announcements come from either the superintendent’s secretary or the district communication director.
“Who called the meeting?” Hunter asked.
Kimble said work sessions are regular events so no one had to call it.
Jerome Williams, board member, questioned why the matter was still being discussed.
“It was done in human error,” Williams said of the announcement, adding that the board is supposed to be working for students.
That prompted a nudge from an audience member.
“When are you going to get to it?” a woman asked.
Hunter said he hopes all board members are there for the best interests of the children.
Part of doing that, he said, is following Ohio’s Open Meetings Act.
Hunter said there have been actions by some board members to keep things from the public. Meetings have to be conducted publicly and the reasons for special meetings announced so that the public may be informed, he said.
“We haven’t had any meetings that we’ve tried to hide,” Kimble said.
The board also recognized 12 crossing guards for their service to the district.
Members approved a resolution, recommended by Stephen Stohla, interim superintendent, not to renew the contract of Linda Reigelman, an assistant principal at Chaney. Adair and Hunter abstained from that vote and all other members were in favor. Reigelman was moved earlier this year from the principal’s post at Discovery Transitions to Careers at Volney to the assistant job.