The CEO of Lorain city schools will not be joining a meeting called by the mayor to improve the relationship between the CEO, the academic distress commission and the school board.
In a letter to the school community, CEO David Hardy Jr wrote, 鈥淚 believe it is in the best interest of our district, and its children, that any discussions pertaining to our future are reserved to be heard by a full Academic Distress Commission.鈥�
Mayor Chase Ritenauer鈥檚 call for a face to face meeting between the three parties came two days after school board president Mark Ballard addressed a
Ballard hopes the new administration in Columbus could mean a new perspective on education.
Under House Bill 70, an ADC was created to hire a CEO to run the district and develop an academic improvement plan. The CEO has the authority of a superintendent and school board.
Ballard writes the academic distress commission is an 鈥渦nconstitutional burden鈥� and asks Governor DeWine to instead 鈥減ursue innovative鈥� strategies to improve struggling districts.
He says since the state takeover in 2017, Lorain鈥檚 schools have been 鈥渦nable to function.鈥�
鈥淭he community is looking for answers and they can never get the answers to the real questions,鈥� Ballard said in an interview Wednesday. 鈥淪o what you find is a community in turmoil. People are taking sides and everyone is at their wits鈥� end.鈥�
His letter criticizes the distress commission and HB70 without mentioning the CEO.
, said his communication with Ballard was 鈥渢he strongest and most consistent communication鈥攂etween myself and any sitting board member鈥攖hat has occurred during my tenure.鈥�
Lorain, East Cleveland and Youngstown school districts are all under state control. All three district are currently suing the state.
Governor DeWine鈥檚 office says they have not received the letter from Ballard and declined to comment until they do.
