SitemapTwo members of the Youngstown City School District Academic Distress Commission are out, replaced by new appointees.
Brenda Kimble, school board president, sent letters Monday to Susan Moorer and Betty Greene, the board president’s appointees to the commission, thanking them for their service and telling them that new representatives were being named.
Ron Miller, who was director of the former Youngstown Area Urban League, and the Rev. Kenneth Simon of New Bethel Baptist Church are the new members.
“In the 2014 Academic Plan, State Superintendent [Richard] Ross suggested that the district broaden its community connection in helping the district meet its educational goals,” Kimble’s letter said. “We, as the board of education, have made a decision to appoint new representatives from the community this year.”
The Vindicator obtained copies of the letters and Kimble’s email to Superintendent Connie Hathorn’s secretary by making a public records request to the school district. Kimble directed that a reporter must complete a written public records request form to get a copy.
According to Ohio’s Public Records Law, commonly called the Sunshine Law, however, such requests need not be made in writing.
“A person need not make a public records request in writing, or identify him or herself when making a request,” the 2014 Sunshine Law manual says.
Both former commission members are invited in Kimble’s letters to the Feb. 24 school board meeting where they will be recognized for their service.
Kimble’s email to Hathorn’s secretary says: “... please alert Dr. Hathorne (sic) that tis (sic) letter is going out today ... Doc is suppost (sic) to have a celebration for them.”
There are five academic distress commission members — two appointed by the school board president and three by the state superintendent of public instruction.
Neither Moorer nor Greene could be reached for comment.
Joffrey Jones, commission chairman, believes both served the commission well. Greene had been a member since the commission’s 2010 establishment, and Moorer was appointed in 2011.
“I’m disappointed,” Jones said. “I’m sure they appointed good people, but Susan and Betty were good commission members. They took the work seriously. They asked good questions. They came prepared. They were excellent commission members and I hate to see them go.”
At the school board’s regular meeting Tuesday, the board approved a resolution supporting the city’s application for nearly $400,000 from the Ohio Department of Transportation Safe Routes to School program to improve the infrastructure surrounding Taft Elementary School.
The board also accepted a $2,500 donation from the India Association of Greater Youngstown to create a scholarship fund for Youngstown Early College students to take summer courses. Neena Bansal, the 2014 association president, is a teacher at YEC.
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