CANFIELD SCHOOLS Official to begin talks with East Liverpool

Hiscox says he is considering several options.
By IAN HILL
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
CANFIELD -- Schools Superintendent Doug Hiscox isn't planning on trading in his Canfield Cardinal sweat shirts just yet, even though he's talking about taking a job in East Liverpool.
"It may not work out at all," he said. "We're nowhere near saying 'yes, I'm taking it.'"
The East Liverpool school board voted Tuesday to enter into contract negotiations to hire Hiscox as superintendent.
Hiscox has told the Canfield board he plans to resign Jan. 31 for personal reasons.
Hiscox noted the East Liverpool talks probably will take time. He said he applied for the job in March. He also stressed he is considering several options, including a private venture designed to support public schools. He would not elaborate.
Mark Squicquero, president of the Canfield school board, could not be reached.
Hiscox said the board understands he may leave before Jan. 31 if he takes another job. He said he has been keeping the board updated on his job search, and he's pleased about East Liverpool's decision to begin talks with him.
"They have a lot of the pieces of a district that wants to be progressive," Hiscox said. "They're just trying to put them all together."
Looking for success
Hiscox said East Liverpool officials seem to share his philosophy of working as a team with teachers and the community to achieve the type of success he's had in Canfield.
Canfield School District met all 27 standards on the 2002 state report card and was deemed excellent.
The Canfield board is accepting superintendent applications through Friday.
About 200 teachers and residents showed up at a May 28 meeting to ask the board to promote assistant superintendent Dante Zambrini.
Whoever is hired will be faced with the task of trying to keep the district out of debt. A 6.9-mill, five-year additional operating levy failed in the May primary.
School officials said that without that revenue, the district will go into debt and be placed in fiscal emergency by the state.
hill@vindy.com