Youngstown Mayor John McNally, right, along with Democratic state senator Joe Schiavoni at a recent informational meeting about the new legislation.
This week, Gov. John Kasich signed into law a new plan allowing for more state intervention in the Youngstown City School District.The next step is for state and city leaders to appoint a commission that will select a CEO for the schools.There are already plans in motion to fill one of the five open commission seats.Youngstown Mayor John McNally gets to choose one person for the commission. He doesn’t think it’ll take long to make his appointment—because he intends to nominate himself."I think for the only way for the mayor to actually know what is going on with a new CEO position, with the powers that person is going to exercise, and with state control being asserted over the district, I think it’s very important for the mayor to be involved in that process," he said.
The rest of the commission will be comprised of three members selected by the state superintendent, and one teacher chosen by the district’s school board.McNally said he expects the committee will be formed sooner than the allocated 30 days, and hopes the group will be able to find a new CEO to lead the district by the beginning of 2016.