MCDONALD School board honors McClary for his 20 years of service

The former coach has given a total of 50 years service to the district.
By MARY R. SMITH
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
McDONALD -- The board of education said farewell to a 20-year board member who has been re-elected five times, as former high school boys basketball coach and driver's education teacher Robert McClary attended his last board meeting Monday.
"I can't believe we could go on 20 years and not be mad at each other," McClary told the board.
He added: "I'm leaving as good a board as I have ever been with."
McClary's retirement from the board actually marks the end of 50 years of involvement with the McDonald schools, where he started as a teacher in the district in 1954.
Board president Robert Jones, who said McClary was his homeroom teacher when he came to the high school, thanked him for the many years of service to the school and community.
Superintendent Michael Wasser commented that McClary "has done a great service for our children here in McDonald."
Dr. William Kunkle added: "I've known Mr. McClary since I was a schoolkid. His heart is truly in the school system."
Honors
The board voted earlier this month to name the high school gymnasium after McClary at a special meeting where the former coach, former high school guidance counselor and Royal Swans Synchronized Swim team organizer Constance Marion and former Superintendent William Rea were all honored at a reception.
The high school pool has been named after Marion and the new Roosevelt Elementary School media center has been named after Rea.
In other business Monday, the board approved payment for work completed on the remodeled high school and the new elementary building as follows: $6,974 to S.A. Comunale, Inc., Warren, for work on the high school; $2,715 to Fire Foe Corp., Girard, and $19,017 to Prout Boiler, Heating & amp; Welding, Youngstown, for work on the Roosevelt building.
The board also accepted the resignation of Mary Trimbur, elementary school librarian, effective Dec. 19, and hired Katherine Sacco as a part-time librarian at Roosevelt at a rate of $16.60 per hour for 19.5 hours a week, with additional hours as needed, effective Jan. 1, 2004.
The board will hold its reorganizational and regular meeting at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 12 in the high school library.