Niles board selects schools superintendent

June 1, 2011 at 12:00a.m.

NILES

Mark Robinson, an educator for 31 years and the superintendent of Ashland City Schools, was appointed Niles schools superintendent Tuesday in a unanimous vote by the board of education.

“I will not let you down,” Robinson told the board after the vote.

Robinson, 52, takes the helm Aug. 1, the day after the retirement of his predecessor, Rocco Adduci. Robinson will earn a salary of $110,600 in the first year of a three-year contract.

Marlene Rhodes, board of education president, said the contract includes a wage-reopening clause in the second year. Robinson will be required to pay 10 percent of the cost of his medical benefits.

Robinson, who was selected from a field of 27 candidates, was superintendent at Ashland for three years and had several educational positions in the Brecksville-Broadview Heights School District for 20 years including assistant superintendent.

“We were impressed with his work in improving the educational process, and his community engagement and involvement,” Rhodes said. “His background is phenomenal.” Rhodes also cited Robinson’s experience in handling school-district operations during construction.

Niles is in the process of building two new elementary schools and a new high school. Its student population of more than 2,700 is smaller than Ashland, which Robinson said numbers around 3,200.

Rhodes said Robinson also stood out for his work with budget issues and his ability to secure alternate funding sources. “He has a track record,” Rhodes said.

Asked about the challenges he faces in Niles, Robinson said funding will be among the biggest especially with the massive cuts in state revenue. “Until I sit down with [the school treasurer] and see the intricacies of the budget, I can’t speculate on anything,” Robinson said. “I want to work with the unions, the board and community and figure out how to make ends meet.”

The new superintendent vowed commitment to “an open and transparent process” when funding decisions are made.

Robinson was accompanied by his wife, Joni, an educational assistant in Brecksville who works with autistic children. The couple, married 30 years, has two adult sons and a 16-year-old daughter who will graduate from Brecksville next year.

Robinson said he will commute from Brecksville during his daughter’s final school year and expects to move into Niles after that, but left open the possibility he may move into the district sooner “if something comes up.”

Adduci said he will be working with Robinson prior to his retirement to help with his transition. Adduci, who has served as superintendent for seven years, praised the district he is about to leave.

“Niles is a strong blue-collar, middle-class community that takes pride in education,” the retiring superintendent said. “We are one of the lowest-paid school districts in the county, but that doesn’t mean we don’t work very hard.”