Restore our power, Youngstown school board urges state association

YOUNGSTOWN

Youngstown Board of Education members unanimously voted Tuesday to request their powers be returned if the CEO doesn’t raise the district’s grade above a C.

CEO Krish Mohip has a three-year contract and is tasked with improving district academic performance on state report cards.

The resolution specifically requests that the Ohio School Boards Association restore operational, managerial and instructional control of the district to the board of education and its selected superintendent. Current Superintendent Joe Meranto was selected by CEO Krish Mohip – not the board.

Mohip was put in place by House Bill 70, which enables him to lead the schools with state-appointed academic distress commission oversight. Both are now in place in the city. He refers to the elected school board as an advisory board.

In addition, the resolution states a request that the board not be dissolved if the district’s state report card grade fails to improve above a C.

HB 70 states that if the CEO and academic distress commission fail to turn the school district around – by bringing the state report card grade up to a C – the board will be dissolved and a new board will be appointed by the Youngstown mayor.

Read more about the meeting in Wednesday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.