YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) – A group of people fighting to get control back of the Youngstown City School District went before the Ohio Supreme Court on Wednesday.
At issue is House Bill 70, which shifted operational control of poor-performing school districts from locally elected boards to unelected CEOs.
The Youngstown School Board and school employees’ unions argued that the law on so-called state takeovers violates the Ohio Constitution. They also said lawmakers violated a procedural rule when the divisive HB 70 was pushed through the Legislature in 2015.
The state denies that and defends the law.
The bus of 25 people who attended the hearing arrived back in Youngstown at 2:30 p.m.
Reverend Ken Simon said he believes the oral arguments went well. He said he believes HB 70 was designed to give the state the opportunity to take over the school district and privatize it.
“We gotta stay in this fight. This is for our kids’ sake. Our children are being exploited in the Youngstown City School District,” he said.
Simon said in the several years that the state has had control over the district, there has been no real improvement.
“I’m glad I went because at least we know what was said — the questions, the answers that were given from our attorneys and things like that,” said Board member Brenda Kimble.
Justices heard the case at Montpelier Junior and Senior High School in Williams County during a court session away from their usual Columbus courtroom.
Lawmakers also have been considering proposals to change the law but haven’t agreed on a plan.
The Supreme Court justices gave no indication when they would rule, but we were told previously that it could be two to three months.