Austintown schools to revamp website

By kristine Gill

kgill@vindy.com

austintown

The board of education announced a new venture with SchoolTeam, a group out of Atlanta, that will help redesign the district’s website and draw in money from local advertisers.

Superintendent Vince Colaluca said there is no up-front cost for the three-year contract. SchoolTeam will solicit advertisers, manage the ads on the sites and claim the first $1,000 in profit. The district will receive 70 percent after that, Colaluca said.

School officials also announced Tuesday that Austintown will be a smoke-free school district effective June 1 in accordance with the Ohio School Facilities Commission, which mandates that new buildings be smoke-free campuses. The district now enforces the state law that says people must stand 30 feet from a building when smoking.

Two women will retire this year after each working more than 30 years in the district. Barbara Capezio, records secretary at Fitch High School, will retire March 1 after 35 years of service. Paula Peterson, a teacher at Woodside Elementary, will retire July 7 after 32 years.

The board recognized the high school speech team adviser, Joseph Curry, who will enter into the Ohio High School Speech League Hall of Fame on March 4 after 19 years in his position at the district.

Board members and the superintendent recognized the school district’s 12 counselors, with Colaluca presenting the seven counselors who were present with certificates and pins in light of National School Counseling Week, which was last week. Colaluca thanked the staff for its recent help after the deaths of a Fitch High School student and a bus driver earlier in the school year.