Interviews completed for Youngstown schools CEO

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

Youngstown’s Academic Distress Commission will further narrow the list of candidates to become the school district’s new chief executive officer down to two or three “probably in the next few days,” said John Richard, commission chairman.

The YADC interviewed the remaining three of six candidates for the CEO position Thursday evening at East High School.

The candidates were selected by search firm Finding Leaders of Sagamore Hills, Ohio. The district paid the firm $23,000 to find a replacement for Krish Mohip, who will leave the district at the end of July.

These candidates were interviewed Thursday: Justin Jennings, superintendent of Muskegon Schools, Muskegon, Mich.; John Thomas, retired superintendent of Alliance and Delaware schools and now a consultant; and Steve Thompson, superintendent of Willoughby-Eastlake City Schools, Ohio.

These candidates were interviewed Wednesday: Marion Smith, executive director of learning improvement, Kent Schools, Kent, Wash.; Andrew Tommelleo, state support team, Mahoning County Educational Service Center; and Donetrus Hill, high-school principal, Dayton City Schools.

The commission will select one of the candidates later this month or early May to replace Mohip, who is paid $170,000 annually.

The Youngstown City School District is under the control of a CEO because of Ohio House Bill 70.

HB 70, also referred to as the Youngstown Plan, was signed into law by former Gov. John Kasich in July 2015. It enabled a state-appointed academic distress commission to hire Mohip to lead the district and out of failing academic performance.

The bill gives Mohip complete operational, managerial and instructional control, which the locally elected school board has contested in court.

The local board and others have filed suit to overturn the law, and the Ohio Supreme Court has agree to hear the case.