Austintown school board elevates Colaluca to top job
Doug Heuer
By Jon Moffett
Doug Heuer’s replacement is the district’s director of curriculum.
AUSTINTOWN — After a statewide search, the township school district has settled on an in-house candidate to fill the role of superintendent.
The school board announced Tuesday its intention to hire Vincent Colaluca for the position held by Doug Heuer. Colaluca, the district’s director of curriculum, will replace Heuer at the end of the month.
Heuer is leaving the district for the superintendent position of the Cleveland Heights-University Heights school district. The district will also fill its director of curriculum position.
“It’s an honor to be able to come in and serve the community and school district,” Colaluca said. “I’ve always had aspirations of being a superintendent. ... One of the reasons I really wanted to be superintendent of Austintown schools is because we have a great staff of teachers, noncertified members and administrators. I really loved working with the board of education as director of instruction and I thought this would be a really good fit for me.”
The district initiated a statewide search last month after hearing of Heuer’s intention to leave the district. Richard Zimmermann, president of the school board, said he sent an open letter via e-mail to all superintendents in Ohio inquiring about interest. Colaluca was selected out of about 20 candidates and one of six finalists for the position, Zimmermann said. Only one of the finalists, Nancy Williams of the Buckeye Local School District in Ashtabula, was outside Columbiana, Mahoning or Trumbull county. Colaluca and two others were given second interviews.
Zimmermann said he believes Colaluca was the best candidate because of his familiarity with Austintown, having spent the past three years in the school system.
Colaluca said his first order of business as superintendent is to reach out to the community and build a strong relationship with the public. He added that he’ll have plenty of time because his only hobbies are his two children, Dante, 10, and Ava, 6, and their athletics.
He received a bachelor’s degree in sports management from Youngstown State University. He also received his degree in education from YSU and his master’s degree from Ashland University.
Colaluca will have his hands full when his term officially begins Aug. 1. The district is trying to acquire money for a $54 million project that would fund two new facilities. Colaluca and Heuer said the state has allocated 47 percent of the costs if the district can match the remaining 53 percent. The district expects to put a levy on the ballot in the fall.
Despite the challenges ahead, Colaluca said he is thankful for the chance to make his mark on the district.
“Opportunities have been opened to me in my life,” he said, “and I feel like if you don’t take advantage of those opportunities, then you’re never going to be able to be successful.”
jmoffett@vindy.com