State lawmakers approve moratorium on future school takeovers only

YOUNGSTOWN

The state budget includes a moratorium on state oversight of school districts but doesn’t change the system in place at Youngstown and two other districts.

The House and Senate approved the two-year, $69 billion budget Wednesday, after extending the June 30 deadline. The House initially approved the budget with a repeal of the Youngstown Plan while it wasn’t part of the Senate package. A conference committee of members of both chambers came to the compromise.

The moratorium on House Bill 70, also known as the Youngstown Plan, will be in place through Oct. 1, 2020, stopping the state from taking control of other academically troubled school districts.

“I’m glad they’re going to keep the three [districts] that are in place intact for now,” said Denise Dick, Youngstown schools spokeswoman. “It takes five to seven years for turnaround transformation to net results. That’s what the research shows. We hope we’ll continue intact after October 2020.”

State Rep. Michele Lepore-Hagan of Youngstown, D-58th, voted against the budget for a variety of reasons, including not repealing the Youngstown Plan. She was among only 17 no votes in the House.

Read more about the matter in Thursday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.