School board adopts calamity day alternative

The Austintown Board of Education adopted a calamity day make up plan that would give students an alternative. The plan was explained by board member Dr. Tom Stellers.

“It provides for blizzard bags for students with and without home computers,” Stellers said.

The new resolution, Calamity Day Alternative Make-up Plan, provides for online learning opportunities for students in lieu of attendance on such excess days. A student who has a home computer can keep up with the class lessons during calamity days when school is cancelled.

Stellers said the program also provides a blizzard bag for those who don’t have computer access at home. The bags would contain the same lesson materials as the computer program has.

The program would require filing an annual plan with the Ohio Department of Education by Aug. 1 of each school year. The plan was unanimously approved by the board.

In other business the board approved the following:

• Upon the recommendation of the superintendent approved the following resignations: for teachers Kathryn Callery, Anne Marie Hurdley, and Debbie Baranski, head mechanic John E. Snyder; junior class advisor Anne Marie Hurdley; assistant girls varsity basketball coach Jeffrey R. Wilson, summer fun camp teacher Carla Collins; nurse Janet Gorsuch, and paraprofessional Linda Burton.

• Approved the following supplemental contracts: Jared Hubicsak, assistant varsity girls soccer coach; Candace L. Kekic; seventh grade (Red) girls volleyball coach; and Chelsey Lesko, AMS (Blue) danceline advisor.

• Approved the following special summer education tutors for 2011: Melissa Vinarsky, Kari Knight, and Carla Collins.

• Approved the recomendation to hire the following professional personnel on a one-year limited contract: Andra LaMarca, district elementary art teacher assigned to Watson and Lloyd; Heather Landgraver, fifth-grade social studies/science teacher at Frank Ohl; Kara Lemke, fourth-grade math teacher at Frank Ohl.

• Approved the recommendation to extend the following administrative contracts for three years effective Aug. 1, 2011 in accordance with the current Administrative Salary Schedule: Bethany Batdorff, assistant principal at Frank Ohl; Christopher Berni, head principal at Austintown Middle School: Roger Day, assistant principal at Fitch; Timothy Kelty, elementary principal at Woodside Elementary; James Penk, assistant principal at Austintown Middle School; and Robert Conklin, athletic director.

• Approved the recommendation to grant administrative contracts effective Aug. 1 as follows: Daniel Bokesch, director of curriculum, two-year contract; Malvern Culp, operations and facilities, three years; Cynthia Douglas, EMIS coordinator, three year; Janet Polish, director of 21st Century Learning, three-year with salary funded 70 percent by Falcon Pride Online and 30 percent by Alternate Schools Grant contingent on program being sustainable; Becky Morris, director of special education, three year; Carole Sutton, director of special programs, two year; Natalie Finamore, Wellness Program coordinator, one year with salary to be paid from Fitness Center revenue; Colleen Murphy, transportation supervisor, two year; Thomas Ventresco, technology coordinator, three year.

• Approved the recommendation to award a 1 percent pay increase to the following two non-bargaining unit administrative assistants who hold continuing contracts as follows effective July 1: Annette Grahovac, superintendent secretary and Monica Pawlen, board office secretary.

• Approved the recommendation to continue the travel expense stipend for Robert Conklin, athletic director, effective Aug. 1, 2011 for the 2011-12 school year at the amount of $4,250 per year. This stipend is in lieu of mileage reimbursement.

• Approved the recommendation to award Mary Ann Herschel, treasurer of Austintown Local Schools, a three-year contract effective Aug. 1, 2011 with the following adjustments: $1,500 in 2011-12; $0 in 2012-13; $0 in 2013-14.

• Approved the recommendation to award Vincent Colaluca, superintendent of Austintown Local Schools, a five-year contract effective Aug. 1, 2011 with the following adjustments: $2,000 in 2011-12 (third year of a three-year contract) and $2,000 in 2012-13; $2,000 in 2013-14; $2,000 in 2014-15; $0 in 2015-16; and $0 in 2016-17.

• Approved the recommendation to continue the service agreement with Rachel Wixey and Associates, Inc. to provide personnel-related recruitment, staffing, scheduling and employment services for substitute staff.

• Approved the donation from Dr. James Shina, MD of his $2,200 stipend as Austintown Local School District’s Consulting Physician with the specifications that $1,200 be directed to the Anthony Zoccali Scholarship fund in his name and $1,000 be directed to student activities and educational materials at the discretion of the superintendent.

• Approved the memorandum of understanding between the Austintown Board of Education and Ohio Association of Public School employees regarding terms and conditions of temporary summer work for the summer of 2011 only.

• Approved the employment of the following temporary Summer 2011 employees: Patricia Lynch and Patricia Thompson (Fitch), Anna Mraz and Carl Talarico (transportation).

• Approved the memorandum of understanding between the Austintown Board of Education and the Austintown Education Association that supplemental contracts to be 1 percent on the negotiated base salary of $29,737 for the 2011-12 school year, $18.10 remains as the hourly rate for AEA members.

• Approved the recommendation to appoint David Schnurrenberger as a delegate and Kathy Mock as an alternate to the Ohio School Boards Association annual business meeting at the Capital Conference Nov. 13-16, in Columbus.

• Approved the recommendation to adopt the administrative guidelines as stated in the district’s new Booster Organization Handbook. Board member Dr. David Ritchie asked if the new guidelines would cause hardships for the booster organizations in Austintown. Colaluca replied if that happened, the board could go back and make changes.

• Approved the recommendation to again partner with Austintown Township Trustees to share in the cost of having a DARE officer during the 2011-12 school year in the amount of $10,000 from school district.

• Approved the recommendation to agree to the service agreement between Electronic Auction Services, Inc. and the Austintown Local School District for the use of EASI’s Internet-based, strategic sourcing solution for the purpose of conducting multiple online bidding events, posting requests for information and quotations, and to solicit and receive bids and proposals necessary in conducting the bidding events.