School board members discuss hiring new director

The school board heard a list of problems with the district's athletic facilities.
By JEANNE STARMACK
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
AUSTINTOWN -- School board members are feeling the pressure to replace the district's director of instruction before school starts again.
Board members agreed at a meeting Thursday that the post left open by Ann Marie Hiznay in June, who resigned to take a job with the Mahoning County Educational Services Center, is critical and must be filled as soon as possible.
The duties include development of curriculum and the professional development of the teaching staff, monitoring grants and recruiting and screening teaching candidates.
Hiznay is still working for the district until August, said schools Superintendent Doug Heuer. He said he advertised the position the day after she resigned but received only 19 applications when he'd hoped for 40 or 50.
He chose six from the 19, then three from the six, but didn't feel any of the candidates was qualified enough, he told board member Traci Morse Merlo, who asked why the process was taking so long.
"What an incredible waste of time, to start all over again," she said.
"When we finally get that person and it's the right person, it wasn't a waste of time," Heuer responded.
Another option
At its meeting earlier this month, the board also said it would consider an option of contracting with the ECS for someone to do the job.
Heuer said hiring a director would cost the district $107,327, but contracting with ECS would cost only $99,796. Some of the director's duties could be paid for out of grants, Heuer said, so the district would spend only about $55,000 out of the general fund.
Board members debated whether it would be better to have an employee or a contracted service.
Heuer, in response to a question from board president Mike Creatore, said the ESC employee would be accountable to the district and would be housed at the district.
Creatore said he worried that if the district didn't contract for the same person every year, consistency in services would suffer.
Heuer said the ESC found three candidates for the district to interview. He said one of those candidates could either be contracted for services or hired outright.
Creatore said he will ask Heuer to place on the board's next meeting agenda a resolution to fill the position under contract services. He said the savings was a big consideration.
Position considered
The board is also debating whether to hire a director of business services to take the pressure off its superintendent and treasurer. Heuer said that director would be available to handle issues that he and Treasurer Barb Kliner don't always have time to deal with before they become emergencies. He said someone addressing issues ahead of time would be more efficient.
Creatore said some of the position's duties would be handling grievances for nonteaching employees and purchasing.
The board is considering spending $55,000 on the post.
Creatore wants the post created.
"We had a $2.7 million carryover in June, and we gave a million in pay raises, yet we're concerned about $55,000 to make our school district more efficient?" he said.
The board also heard from its athletic director about the state of some of the district's athletic facilities.
Joe Nohra said that fencing at Fitch High School, stadium doors, baseball and softball fields and repairs to stadium seating need urgent attention.