YOUNGSTOWN — Three current board members are among the eight people seeking to win seats on an elected Youngstown Board of Education that could for the first time in years, have some control in guiding the school district’s direction.

This next board may be able to select a superintendent and have say on matters dealing with employee hiring and the educational direction.

Barring any changes, the board will have increased control of the district beginning July 1, 2022. At that time, the Youngstown Academic Distress Commission, which has been providing some oversight of the district along with the chief executive officer, will begin its consultant role for the next three years.

If the district is able to implement its academic improvement plan, then the CEO / distress commission model of operating a school district will cease.

There are three to elect. Here’s what the candidates are saying in their pre-election campaigns:

RONALD SHADD

Shadd, 45, the current BOE president, said his priority, if re-elected, will be to make sure administrative staff and teachers have whatever they need to meet and surpass the benchmarks established in the academic improvement plan sent to the Ohio Department of Education last month.

The successful implementation of the AIP will be the focus of his third term on the school board, if he is one of the three to win a seat.

“The first time I ran one of my goals was to get the district out from other the academic distress commission’s oversight and back under local control,” Shadd said. “I did not imagine it would take a significant amount of my life.”

Shadd said the current board’s strength has been its focus on collaboration and focusing on the bigger picture, regardless of difficulties it has faced working under a system that did not provide it the power to make decisions about district operation.

“Once given the opportunity we were able to develop the AIP,” he said.

Shadd would have liked to have sent the AIP to the state’s superintendent of public instruction with unanimous support. One board member, Jackie Adair, voted against the final version.

“If you don’t believe in the plan, then why be a part of it?” Shadd said.

Recognizing the next board will select a superintendent sometime next summer, Shadd said CEO Justin Jennings should be given an opportunity to earn the position.

“The board should truly access what has been done over time,” Shadd said. “We should look at other candidates and determine the best fit for moving the district forward.”

JACKIE ADAIR

Adair, who is completing her second four year term as a board member, argues the AIP’s benchmarks for improvement are too low, so she was the lone dissenter in approving its submission to the state. Adair argued that the targets for student from third through 12th grade in math are at such a low level that approximately 85 percent of the district’s students will not be expected to meet proficiency goals within the next three years.

“That is unacceptable,” Adair said. “I have insisted the targets be raised to at least 75 percent, not 17 percent, 16 percent or 14 percent, by the 2024-2025 school year.

“They will need targeted, hard work on math instruction to bridge the gap, but that should be the point of any real academic plan– ensuring academic competence and achievement,” Adair continued.

Adair argues the district treasurer has not over the last five years provided detailed financial reports to the board to allow for informed decisions about spending and whether there is a need for tax levies.

Stating that the district is a $157 million business, Adair said this should be enough ro provide students the best education that money can buy. She charges the district’s dollars have been spent on high administrative salaries and programs “that have not resulted in a positive return on taxpayers’ investments.”

Adair questions how the $79 million in state and federal funds received by the district through various COVID-19 relief program are being spent.

“The reason why the district can’t manage to dig itself out of academic emergency can be summed up in one word: Leadership,” she said. “We need competent, knowledgeable leaders … with proven, demonstrated skills and the abillity to turn around an academically floundering district.”

Adair, according to the Mahoning County Auditor’s office, is delinquent in paying her home’s property taxes.

Adair’s Kenneth Avenue home is valued at $62,350 and has an annual tax of $933.42. She has paid $200 of the tax and is delinquent $4,683.30.

TINA CVETKOVICH

Cvetkovich, 52, the current board vice president, is completing her first term in office. She said her top goals, if reelected, will be to increase community collaboration, improve policy implementation, as well as upgrade programming.

“Increasing community collaboration will involve establising an advisory board and increasing the involvement of local minority businesses in the district,” she said.

Cvetkovich emphasized the pandemic has been difficult for staff and students. “One of the biggest things I would like to see is our staff and employees being trained on recognizing mental health and substance use disorders,” she said. “Even though there are some staff that may not have been affected, they should be trained to recognize symptoms they should look for. We should have strong policies around helping those needing assistance.”

Cvetkovich believes and an increased level of transparency and accountability will be important for the next board to garner community trust in improving the district.

“I am proud how the board came together when it was time to create the AIP,” she said. “Everyone made themselves available, so the work could be done.”

“We will be able to show the growth required by the state, which will allow the district to move from under the Academic Distress Commission,” she said.

Cvetkovich described initially deciding to run for the school board because she wanted to be able to provide the perspective of a parent and a grandparent with students in the district.

With the possibility of having greater local control, Cvetkovich believes the board will be able to do much more in helping to write the policies needed for students to achieve academic improvement goals

KENNETH DONALDSON

Donaldson, 53, pastor at Rising Star Baptist Church, a first-time candidate, has been volunteering in the school district during the 14 years he has been back in the city.

Donaldson, born and raised here, returned after getting his master of theology in urban ministry from the Dallas Theological Seminary while in Plano, Texas. He also earned a masters degree in education with a focus on curriculum and instruction and an undergraduate degree in psychology from Middle Tennessee State University.

“I’ve been seeing what children have been experiencing inside the school buildings,” Donaldson said. “I’ve seen what teachers have been experiencing.”

Donaldson began volunteering in the schools because of the lack of males in area schools and in churches.

“Not a lot of students interact with males during school days,” he said. “I wanted to be a part of providing positive black role models.”

As a pastor and coach, Donaldson described seeing the stress students have been going through while navigating through the district. “I’ve buried too many children,” he said.

Donaldson expressed disappointment in the work of the current school board. “It is not to say they do not have good intentions,” he said. “I think there is too much bickering.”

Donaldson said he believes in teamwork. “The board has been challenged for many years with a lack of cooperation,” he said.

If elected, Donaldson will encourage the board to hire CEO Jennings as superintendent. “I believe it is better to hire a quarterback who already knows the system, rather than bring in someone who will have to learn over the next two to three years,” he said.

LaDONNA WALKER

Walker, 46, a Rayen school graduate and a parent engagement coordinator in the district, said her first priority as a new board member will be thorougly review the AIP.

“The AIP is based on the work done by the CEO and his academic team,” she said. “I want to know how we will achieve the benchmarks in the plan.”

Walker said she will work to bring more art into the schools.

“Art helps young people to think creatively, develop discipline and speak well,” she said.

Walker would like to have band, choirs, painting and drawing, poetry, spoken word and others that encourage students to be creative.

“I play clarinet and I believe what I learned in these classes helped in other classes,” she said. “The arts have been reduced over the last several years. Some schools do not have any art clases. They should be in all schools. We want to build well-rounded scholars.”

She also will work to bring a village approach to the district.

“We have to have positive relationships with all city residents ,” she said. “These relationships do not exist enough. I would like to see more people tutoring, doing meet-and-greets at the school and finding other ways to be involved

“We had those types of relationships when I was in school,” Walker said. “When I was at Rayen high school, we had old high schoolers mentoring younger students. We are missing that these days.”

Walker believes the strength of the current board has been its ability to adapt to the state takeover and work through it.

“I would like to see board members more present in school buildings,” she said. “Board members will be making decisions that affect what will be happening in the buildings. Members should have firsthand knowledge of what is happening in the buildings.”

She would like to see board meetings move to different school buildings at least once a month.

Walker believes it would not be wise to change the leadership of the district.

“When you have a train on the track and it’s traveling with only a few glitches, there’s no reason it should be derailed,” Walker said. “Why change it?”

DAWN TURNAGE

Turnage, 51, a first-time candidate, believes this is a time when the district will experience significant change.

“I’ve always believed in being a part of making things better,” she said. “I have a tremendous background of working with youth and families I believe will serve me well as a member of the board.”

Turnage is the Youngstown Parks and Recreation director, and has worked as a case manager with the Coumbus Metropolitan Housing Authority and an event coordinator with the Westerville Parks and Recreation Department.

“I will bring fresh energy and a plan to review current policies that are in place in terms of curriculum,” she said.

She wants the next board to create a long-term vision, mapping a course that provides the necessary opportunities for students working reach their full potential.

“We need to establish an educational experience addressing the individual needs of the student by providing academic support that is personalized, engaging and not resricted to the classroom setting,” she said.

Turnage believes recent school boards have experienced problems because, being under an academic distress commission and a CEO, the board did not have the power to make meaningful decisions.

“The district has not had the wraparound services that are needed to help students achieve,” she said.

Turnage is encouraged by benchmarks that are contained the AIP.

The board’s choice of the next superintendent will be important, she said. “I believe Mr. (Justin) Jennings should be considered as one of the possible candidates for the superintendent, if he is interested. He has the educational qualifications and a focus on the best interest of our scholars and a knowledge of the area.”

NIA SIMMS

Simms, 48, said the environment of the school board has to change, so the culture of the school district can change.

Simms said she would like to help the board regain community trust through transparency with students, parents and educators.

“Build rapport and consistent open-door conversations with educators,” she said. “The board should work as a team at all times to lead scholars to success upon graduation and beyond.”

Simms would like to work with other members to make sure the AIP is a success by reaching its benchmarks and targets.

While pleased the district is moving out of academic distress, Simms said passage of House Bill 70, which tool away local control, was neither the beginning of the district failing, nor its academic demise.

“I support change was necessary for a failed district of many years,” Simms said. “It is sad that drastic measures such as HB 70 had to take place. However, it has prompted the board to work on and unanimously approve a strategic improvementplan in order to move our scholars forward as well as the power of our board … collectively.”

“No one wants the power taken away, but how many more Fs was the district going to get until somebody said ‘enough is enough,'” she said. “Now how do we not let this happen again?”

Candidate Danyel R. Taylor did not respond to a candidate questionnaire from the newspaper and could not be reached for this story.

rsmith@tribtoday.com