RIFs result in $1.95 million saved

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

Youngstown City Schools will save $1.95 million in salaries and benefits due to 14 reduction-in-force notifications sent Friday to district employees – including some top-tier administrators.

District officials said the district is being reorganized and some duties are being consolidated.

Those affected by the school district’s reorganization will work through June, but the district will continue to pay them and cover their health insurance through July 31.

There is roughly a $1.95 million savings in salary and benefits, according to a news release.

“It’s a continuation of the reductions in force that began at the end of 2018 when we cut 18 positions,” said school district CEO Krish Mohip.

For the first years of the CEO’s tenure, he built up staff and administrators to provide the support needed for students, knowing that some of those positions would be pared down as the school system improved, according to the news release.

A lot of administrators were needed in the beginning of the district’s transformation because the needs of too many students weren’t being met. But district officials have implemented new processes and procedures and the needs of students are being better addressed, so staff now may be scaled back.

Those affected and their annual salaries are:

Elementary principal Cathy Dorbish, $107,100

Elementary principal Art Scissum, $100,100

Jennifer Damico, deputy chief of operations, $104,250

Assistant Principal Don Cheffo, $76,889

Pat Lowry, director of strategic initiatives, $75,000

Colleen Chamberlain, chief of Human Resources, $106,175

Lillian Greco, risk manager/HR assistant, $78,124

Carla Novicky, fiscal and business office secretary, $44,315

Denise Vaclav-Danko, chief of operations, $118,575

Rick Gurski, ninth-grade academy executive director, $107,250

Tim Freeman, deputy chief of climate and culture, $107,250

Marla Mitchell, instructional effectiveness specialist, $67,761

Bethany Flores, English Learners director, $56,580

Shaheena Khan, deputy chief of transformation, $111,750