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ODE blames Youngstown schools for salary snafu
YOUNGSTOWN
The Ohio Department of Education blames the district for Youngstown City Schools CEO Krish Mohip’s salary not being reimbursed.
The school district, instead of the ODE, has been paying Mohip’s $170,000 salary for the past two years.
Per House Bill 70, Mohip is supposed to be paid by the ODE. However, A.J. Ginnetti, district deputy chief of finance/treasurer, revealed at a special school board meeting Wednesday evening that the district has been footing the bill.
When asked about the situation, Dan Minnich, ODE communications outreach executive director, said a memorandum of understanding needs to be signed by the district.
“Once that occurs, the Ohio Department of Education will move forward to pay the school district for the CEO’s salary,” he said.
Brenda Kimble, school board president, said there was never supposed to be a reimbursement process, and Mohip was to be paid directly by the ODE.
“At first they wanted the board to pay him, and we said, ‘No, he’s a state employee,’” Kimble said. “We thought he was being paid directly by the state. The board had no idea.”
House Bill 70, also known as the Youngstown Plan, was signed into law by Gov. John Kasich in July 2015. It enabled a state-appointed academic distress commission to hire Mohip to lead the district with complete operational, managerial and instructional control.
Months of communications show that in December 2017, an email was first sent by Greg Slemons, then district chief financial officer, reaching out to the ODE regarding reimbursement.
In June 2018, Aaron Rausch, ODE Office of Budget and School Funding director, emailed Sherry Tyson, former district treasurer, about the reimbursement.
Tyson resigned around that same time.
Rausch continued to reach out to Tyson in July and August 2018, not knowing that she had resigned.
In September 2018, Rausch emailed Ginnetti, the current deputy chief of finance/treasurer, with regard to reimbursement.
Ginnetti responded in October 2018 and hasn’t received any follow-up communication since.
District spokeswoman Denise Dick said she’s sure the state will rectify the situation.
Kimble said she was aware that the district was funding Mohip’s travel and professional development to be reimbursed, but she still thinks that all of the funding should just come directly from the state.
“We are going to challenge that,” Kimble said. “There’s no way we shouldn’t have that funding back. Why should we have to sign a memorandum of understanding for us to be reimbursed [for a state employee]?
“For the next CEO we need to make sure this won’t happen again. It needs to get taken care of ASAP. ... There are too many things happening with finances here, so we’ll keep pushing,” Kimble added.
“We need our money back.”