Reaction to CEO's schools reorganization plan cautiously supportive

YOUNGSTOWN

NAACP Youngstown Branch President George Freeman Jr. was among community members cheering Youngstown City Schools CEO Krish Mohip’s neighborhood school plan.

The plan, released by Mohip Wednesday, is simply “wonderful” and takes into account special programs being placed on one side of the city, Freeman said.

“Kids won’t have to go past a school to go to school – it’ll be right in their neighborhood,” Freeman said. “I agree wholeheartedly with Mr. Mohip’s plan and I say give the guy a couple years and Youngstown will be a school looked up to by people all around the state.”

Mohip’s plan will place students in prekindergarten through eighth grade into one of nine school buildings closest to their homes – Paul C. Bunn Elementary, Williamson Elementary, Programs of Promise at Wilson, Taft Elementary, Volney Rogers Middle, McGuffey Elementary, Discovery at Kirkmere, Martin Luther King Elementary and Harding Elementary.

Jackie Adair, known as an outspoken board of education member, is, as Mohip has requested, “buying in” to the idea.

That doesn’t mean she doesn’t have concerns which include moving Youngstown Early College and the overall costs.

“The move of YEC to 20 W. Wood St. and the cost is just going to be spending way more money yet again,” she said.

Mohip said Mayor John A. McNally asked him not to reconfigure the schools when he started as CEO in June 2016.

Now, McNally said he supports whatever will best help students. Still, he worries about more change.

Read more reaction in Thursday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.