YOUNGSTOWN– City schools Chief Executive Officer Justin Jennings patiently waited Monday to learn if he would have a new job in January as the Akron Public Schools chief of leadership and learning / assistant superintendent.

His hiring was on the agenda. By the meeting’s end, Jennings did not have the job.

The board went into executive session and decided to table the vote, according to Mark Williamson, Akron schools’ spokesman.

“No vote was taken,” Williamson said. “They will address it at a later date.”

Because the chief of leadership and learning / assistant superintendent is a newly created position, there is no deadline for it to be filled, Williamson said.

The next Akron meeting is scheduled to take place on Jan. 10. The board, however, could decide to have a meeting before that time to vote on this or other positions.

No explanation was given for why the vote was not taken, Williamson said.

FOUR CANDIDATES

Jennings is among four people considered for the position. Two applicants work inside the district and two, including Jennings, from outside of the district.

The annual salary for the position, slated to begin Jan. 3 according to the meeting agenda, is $183,102. Jennings currently earns $190,000 per year as Youngstown schools CEO. In addition, Jennings has earn bonuses, per his contract, since becoming the CEO. This year, Jennings earned a $10,000 bonus.

Jennings was appointed the CEO of the Youngstown City School District in August 2019.

The Youngstown district is expected to begin moving from state control (academically and financially) and its CEO model of leadership in July 2022. At that time, Jennings’ position as the CEO will be eliminated and the elected Youngstown Board of Education will be able to select its next superintendent.

Although the board will have the authority to rehire Jennings as Youngstown schools superintendent, that is not expected to happen because it has had contentious relationships with each of its CEOs.

If the district hires the CEO as the next superintendent, the state will continue to pay that person’s salary. If the board hires anyone else, the school district will be responsible for paying that person’s salary and benefits.

Jennings, at one point, had expressed interest in being hired as the next superintendent.

At least one of his harshest critics on the city school board, Jackie Adair, was defeated during last November’s election.

Although outgoing school board President Ronald Shadd had repeatedly noted it would be up to the board to determine if it wanted to consider Jennings for the superintendent’s position, he has been on different occasions critical of the CEO’s leadership.

John Richard, executive director of the Youngstown Academic Distress Commission, described Jennings as being very knowledgeable and capable.