Local pastor details reasons he remains opposed Youngstown schools' state-imposed CEO

YOUNGSTOWN

The Rev. Kenneth L. Simon of New Bethel Baptist Church told Youngstown community members that it is time to “wake up” to the “anti-democratic” practices of CEO Krish Mohip.

“Are we asleep Youngstown?” he asked at a news conference hosted by the Community Leadership Coalition on Education before Wednesday’s school board meeting.

“We need to make parents and taxpayers aware of what’s happening,” he said.

Simon contended Mohip’s spending on administration has been “high-priced” and “top-heavy.”

But according to the district’s five-year forecast, salary spending is almost the same this year as it was the last – $42 million.

Pastor Simon said “padding pockets” of the administration is costing the district what they are supposed to be spending on teachers.

Pastor Simon said because of this, he will remain adamantly opposed to Ohio House Bill 70, which enables the Youngstown district’s CEO to lead the schools with only state-appointed academic distress commission oversight.

Mohip said if spending practices are discussed, the discussion must include mention of the $1.5 billion spent on students in the past decade for which the district has nothing to show.

Read more about the press conference and the school board meeting that followed in Wednesday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.