Friday, December 19, 2008
The superintendent also revealed that Jackson Elementary School may not be demolished.
BY JORDAN COHEN
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
NILES — The board of education expected to appoint its newest member Thursday. It did not expect another board member to resign.
Robert Marino Sr., who was serving the third year of his first term, handed the board his letter of resignation during an executive session. When the board reconvened, Marino asked to be excused from the meeting, moments before the board voted unanimously to appoint its newest member — Traci Buttar, a Niles certified public accountant.
Marino’s resignation letter, which board President Marlene Rhodes read aloud, said his term in office had become “stressful” for his family and that in the last 18 months, he has had to endure cancer and two surgeries.
“I didn’t see this coming at all,” Rhodes said afterwards.
“I am resigning due to health and family reasons,” the letter stated. Marino also wrote that he was proud of the passage of the bond issue that will help finance construction of a new high school and two elementary schools.
Marino’s son Robert is curriculum director of Niles schools and Niles City Council president.
The resignation was announced only after Buttar was sworn into office and took her seat on the board. Buttar, a lifelong Niles resident, has been co-chair of the school’s Community Outreach Committee.
“My goal is to help the schools in any way I can,” Buttar said.
Buttar replaces Dori Gatta MacMillan, who resigned for personal reasons Dec. 2. Buttar was chosen out of a field of 14 applicants, three of whom withdrew their applications shortly before the board made its decision.
Marino’s resignation means the board must repeat the process.
Under state law, the board must fill Marino’s seat within 30 days. If it fails to do so, the selection would be made by Trumbull Probate Judge Thomas Swift.
Rhodes encouraged previous applicants for the position Buttar filled to reapply for Marino’s vacant seat. “They don’t need to send us their resumes again,” Rhodes said. “They should just send us a note that they would like to be considered.” First-time applicants should send letters and resumes.
The board meets again on Jan. 8 and is expected to name Marino’s successor at that time.
As if that were not enough, Superintendent Rocco Adduci revealed, after being sharply questioned by a member of the school bond committee, that Jackson Elementary School may not be demolished.
“We plan to use the building as a new board office because our present office is too small,” Adduci said. It is the first time that the superintendent has publicly disclosed that Jackson may be spared the wrecking ball.
Robert Swauger, who is also Niles city treasurer, asked why the bond committee was told that the district’s four elementary schools, including Jackson, would be torn down if students would continue to attend classes at Jackson.
“There are no plans to have classes in that building,” Adduci said, but he added that Jackson has an auditorium that could be used for meetings or other school functions.
Adduci said the schools recently received permission from the Ohio School Facilities Committee to use Jackson as a board office, but the board must still vote on the proposed move. Plans are to either sell or lease the current board offices on West Street.