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Dohar hired as schools chief
The board wants an 8.4-mill bond issue and a 1.6-mill levy on the Nov. 3 ballot.
MINERAL RIDGE — Weathersfield school board has named Damon Dohar superintendent of schools.
He’ll replace Michael Hanshaw, who has resigned effective Aug. 1. There were 18 applicants for the position.
Dohar, 39, who has been assistant superintendent and director of human resources for Youngstown schools since August 2007, will earn $84,000 for the 2009-10 school year and $85,680 with a 2 percent increase for the 2010-11 school year.
“I’m excited,” Dohar said of his appointment. “It’s an excellent place to be.” He said he plans to work with the board and the district’s staff to continue to keep Weathersfield schools “Excellent” in state report card rank.
Hanshaw has been on staff at Weathersfield for 25 years. He was the high school principal and was superintendent the last five years
Hanshaw, who will become assistant superintendent of the Trumbull County Educational Service Center starting Aug. 1, told Dohar, “I think you’ll do a wonderful job. Good luck to you. It’s a wonderful place; you’ll really enjoy it.
Dohar has a bachelor’s degree from Thiel College, Greenville, Pa., a juris doctorate degree from the University of Toledo Law School, a master’s degree in education from Ashland University and is a doctoral candidate at Youngstown State University.
Dohar has been a teacher since 1996 when he taught Spanish and government at Liberty High School. He did an administrative internship at Struthers High School, where he also taught Spanish, was a middle school principal at Campbell City Schools and was assistant intermediate school principal and director of special education at Springfield School District. He did a superintendent internship at Youngstown schools in 2007.
Dohar was an assistant football coach at Struthers, Liberty and Northwood, in Lucas County. He also coached track at Struthers and Liberty.
In other business at its meeting Wednesday, the board accepted the resignation of Bill Koppel as principal at Mineral Ridge Middle School effective July 31 for his retirement.
The board also voted to place an 8.4-mill bond issue and a 1.6-mill tax levy on the Nov. 3 ballot and to ask the county auditor to certify the millage for the bond issue and levy.
The measures will provide funds for the district’s share of the $19 million-plus Ohio Schools Facilities Commission project to raze most of the middle school and add on to Seaborn Elementary School to turn it into a K-8 building.
The district would borrow its $8.4 million share of the construction costs through the sale of bonds.
The state will pay $10.6 million of the construction costs. The 1.6-mill levy to raise $131,739 would pay for maintenance of the facility and to purchase new computers and technology hardware.
Voters turned down a first request for the funds in May.