CANFIELD School district business chief resigns post for new position

The school board will discuss hiring a third administrator this month.
By IAN HILL
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
CANFIELD -- The school district's business manager is set to resign after his first school year to take a job at Cleveland State University.
Dennis Kowalski said he learned two weeks ago that he had been hired as director of the university's Greater Cleveland Educational Development Center. Kowalski told the school board Monday night that his last day as district business manager will be Aug. 4.
"Sometimes you have to look out for the future," he said.
Kowalski, hired last September, was the district's first business manager. The board created the position in response to local residents' concerns about the district's financial operations.
Kowalski noted that he had not been looking for another job. He said friends asked him to apply to serve as the director of the development center after the opening appeared in national publications.
'Career opportunity'
"It's a career opportunity I can't pass up," Kowalski said.
Kowalski's two-year contract called for him to earn $70,000 each year. He said he will take a pay cut by accepting the job in Cleveland.
The educational development center helps to facilitate professional development for teachers and administrators in about 60 northeast Ohio school districts. Kowalski said that as director, his actions will impact about 150,000 students through 15,000 teachers and administrators.
As business manager, Kowalski helped coordinate communication between school unions and the administration. He added that he helped create plans to maintain the district's facilities and he helped cut $125,000 from the budget by reorganizing staff.
Kowalski said he also helped oversee a reorganization of the district's central office staff that helped save $25,000.
Superintendent Dante Zambrini said he, Kowalski, and treasurer Pattie Kesner worked well together.
"You hate to see a team end," Zambrini said. "I regret that we're losing him, but I'm also pleased for him."
Zambrini added that he was happy the job change would allow Kowalski to work closer to his home and family in Strongsville. Kowalski, the former superintendent of the Strongsville schools, said he planned to move to Canfield, but he could not find a buyer for his Strongsville home.
Future of position
The school board most likely will decide the future of the business manager's position at a meeting later this month, Zambrini said. He stressed that a third administrator is needed to help take care of some district tasks.
"It would be impossible to run the central office with just two people," Zambrini said.
hill@vindy.com