The Youngstown Education Association (YEA) says that a tax levy may be necessary to fix a deficit in the school district's budget, according to a release Monday afternoon. 

The release comes after a months-long 21 News investigation which found that, during the pandemic, then district CEO Justin Jennings mishandled millions of dollars in federally disbursed Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds.

The YEA further notes that they are "concerned that going forward the Board is going to be the entity that will have to deal with a possible investigation of these purchases and what transpired before July 1, 2022."

"With all the spending, the public has been told that the district will soon be in a deficit and that a tax levy will be needed," the release says.

Involved in these purchases were $5 million spent on unused internet equipment, $3.6 million in COVID tests available free from the state, and another $385,000 for a failed payroll service. 

The YEA release also mentions the possibility of state or federal investigations into the usage of those funds, noting that if there were issues with the purchases, "the Board may be held responsible and possibly have the task to find a way to pay back the monies" that Jennings misappropriated. 

The President of the YEA Eric Teutsch also issued the following statement regarding Jennings's conduct, and what it may mean for Youngstown City Schools:

"Because of these issues, we as the YEA believe the Board has a responsibility to the voters, taxpayers, students and employees of the Youngstown City School District to address and investigate these issues to find out if these purchases meet the guidelines that were set forth. I’m not certain if they were legal or illegal or if mistakes were made. I do know that these issues could cause terrible outcomes and consequences in negotiations between the YEA and the Board this summer. That is because some of those ESSER funds could have been spent on teachers, substitutes, and technical support for our classrooms. We ask the Board of Education and all concerned community leadership to put aside their differences, investigate and resolve these problems. We need to find answers and make decisions that are in the best interest of educating the students of the Youngstown City School District.”

According to an email obtained by 21 News, now superintendent Justin Jennings plans to resign from his post effective June 30th for "personal reasons."