YOUNGSTOWN — Supporters of restoring local control to the Youngstown City School District were able to meet with Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine to outline why they feel the Youngstown Plan has failed here.

School board President Brenda Kimble, board member Ronald Shadd and the Rev. Kenneth Simon of New Bethel Baptist Church told the governor Thursday afternoon that they are positive the district will experience improvement both in function and academically — if local control is given back to the district and its elected school board.

“We took data to show the decline the district has experienced since HB 70 came into effect,” Kimble said. “He looked it over.”

The meeting, they said, was arranged by Youngstown Mayor Jamael Tito Brown.

Under House Bill 70, referred to as the Youngstown Plan and signed into law in 2015, academically failing school districts were put by the state under the direction of academic distress commissions and are run by a CEO. Youngstown was the first, followed later by East Cleveland and Lorain. The state later approved a moratorium on having other poor-performing school districts lose local control.

Kimble encouraged the governor to consider supporting HB 154, which was approved by the Ohio House last year. That bill would eliminate academic distress commissions and the use of CEOs in school districts.

“I told him that HB 154 will allocate funds for schools that could be used to partner with YSU (Youngstown State University),” Kimble said. “YSU has a school of education (the Beeghly College of Education) with a dean that knows what we need and is willing to work with us.”

HB 154 has not been approved by the Ohio Senate.

Kimble emphasized the elected school board — and thus the Youngstown community — has not had any power to steer the direction of the district since HB 70 was established more than a decade ago.

PROFICIENCY

Supporters of the current commission / CEO arrangement, however, argue that had the local school board and schools administration done a better job of directing academic performance in past years, then two commissions over a decade would not have been necessary in Youngstown.

“Without knowing what data they’re talking about (with the governor), I can’t really comment on it specifically,” said Denise Dick, director of communications and public relations for Youngstown schools.

“While the state has changed targets for report card grades and measures over the years, there has been growth in YCSD student achievement over the last three years. That’s not the same as proficiency, granted, but in order to get to proficiency, you have to have growth first. It’s not a quick process.”

She also asked: “Has anyone asked the board what over the last 10 years, with any CEO or superintendent or commission, they have tried to do to benefit students or enhance education that they have been stopped from doing by any superintendent, commission or CEO? I think that’s a relevant question and no one seems to be asking it.”

AFTERWARD

Both Simon and Kimble said they left the meeting with the impression that DeWine is open-minded to the information presented, but does not want to see the district return to where it was before HB 70 was established.

“He was responsive,” Simon said. “He wants to see what the Senate and and House present to him. He told us that he supports local control, but wants the state to have some oversight.”

Simon expressed concerned about what “oversight” means.

“Is it providing advice and technical assistance when needed?” he questioned. “What is the level of oversight?”

Simon is concerned because an option presented in the Senate education committee’s version of HB 154 is having an academic distress commission — but under a different name.

“The plans that are being considered have some semblance of state control,” he said. “We have to figure out what the governor is willing to accept, whether it is an advisory position or having more control.”

“The governor said he is willing to put (in place) some public resources and provide help,” Simon said.

Both Simon and Kimble said they appreciate DeWine’s willingness to listen.

“He heard us,” Simon said. “He seemed genuinely concerned and wants the three districts (East Cleveland, Lorain and Youngstown) out of state control. That is a positive.”

rsmith@tribtoday.com