YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - After dealing with falling enrollment, Youngstown Schools are looking for ways to increase the number of students taking part in career technology programs.

 

The downturn in the number of students has some instructors at Choffin Career & Technical Center fearful they could lose their jobs.

 

Superintendent Justin Jennings says the 3 RIF, or Reduction in Force Letters, are a technicality that needed to be done to renegotiate contracts so the instructors would be teaching enough days not that the program is being ended.

 

The Youngstown School Board meeting was packed, people from the community and teachers attended saying they want to know more about how the district is run.

The union brought up concerns after three teachers in the nursing program received a reduction in force letters.

 

"I asked them what's going on with it, you're eliminating three of the full-time adult education nursing instructors, what's going on? Is the program on the chopping block, why are they being eliminated?," President of the Youngstown Education Association Eric Teutsch said.

 

Superintendent Justin Jennings explains instructors at Choffin work more hours due to training so contracts need to cover those hours that students need to receive certificates. And one instructor could be offered part-time due to a lack of student enrollment for that program. 

 

"We have to do the reduction in force in order to offer the new contract with the correct amount of days or the same contract with additional days," Superintendent Justin Jennings said.

 

Meanwhile, the Board voted to form a committee to look at ways to increase enrollment at Choffin as Ohio increases its emphasis on Career Technical  Centers and Adult Education. 

 

Back in 1973 when student enrollment was high, Youngstown excluded students from other districts from attending.

 

But with enrollment down and some other Career Tech programs packed discussions will begin about opening that door to students from other districts. 

 

"We offer programs that some don't have that's another opportunity. All we want to do is look at Choffin as a school of choice for career technical education. Everybody thinks the choice is about leaving Youngstown. The choice is about coming back to Youngstown in the career center, and we have great programs we want to expand," School Board Member Joe Meranto said.

 

He adds Ohio has around 500 Million dollars in its budget for Career Tech and adult education facilities and equipment upgrades.

 

The district plans to apply for funds for facility and equipment upgrades.