Youngstown School District superintendent Justin Jennings says he will resign
Youngstown City School District CEO and Superintendent Justin Jennings has announced his resignation, according to muitiple media reports.
Jennings has been with the district as CEO since 2019 and the superintendent role was added in 2022.
Mahoning Matters contacted Board of Education Presdent Tiffany D. Patterson on Monday, who said Jennings told her he would resign reportedly for personal seasons.
Patterson didn’t confirm Jennings’ last day, but said she’s waiting to see it in writing from him.
Youngstown Education Association Union President Eric Teutsch said he hoped that all things being looked into in the district moves forward and that decisions will be made for what is best for the district and its students moving forward.
“ [YEA] hopes the board puts the right people in the right situation so the district can function as a normal school district should,” Teutsch added.
Jennings’ announcement came several days after a Saturday special meeting from the board which was called in response to a 21 News months-long Watchdog investigation that investigated the spending of COVID-19 funds by him.
But Patterson said in a email statement Monday night that Jennings’ reasoning for the resignation was private and she praised him for his service in Youngstown.
Read Youngstown Board of Education President’s Tiffany Patterson’s complete statement below
Dear YCSD Families:
As president of the Youngstown City School Board it is my responsibility to share news with our scholars, families and community members.
I am sure that most of you have already learned via social media, local news or word-of-mouth that Mr. Jennings is stepping down from his position as YCSD Superintendent. While this may be true the rumors floating around, surrounding his departure are not.
Many people would like you to believe he did something wrong during his time in the district. That could not be further from the truth. During his four plus years he consistently demonstrated his unwavering dedication to the district while building a foundation and framework for continuous improvement. Out of his steady leadership came a plan of recovery and infrastructure enhancement. Simultaneously he and his team worked alongside the school board to develop our Academic Improvement Plan. The Board believes in the instructional coaching model, leadership coaching and resource alignment he has instituted. We believe in the leadership team he has put together and are confident we will meet the benchmarks of our AIP and beyond. From day one, any decision Mr. Jennings made was always about what’s best for our scholars.
Mr. Jennings’ reason for his resignation is private and the board will respect that as we begin to move forward.
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This story was originally published June 5, 2023 at 3:16 PM.