Nik Amstutz came from 'a long line of community servers'

June 24, 2014 at 12:00a.m.

BOARDMAN

You would be hard pressed to find some aspect of Boardman’s community life, civics organizations, sports and academics programs that were devoid of Niklaus E. “Nik” Amstutz’s influence.

“If I could come up with one word to describe Nik, it would be passionate,” schools Superintendent Frank Lazzeri said Monday about Amstutz, the Boardman Board of Education president who died Friday at Hillside Rehabilitation Hospital in Warren, where he was recovering after a heart ailment. He was 50.

Amstutz, a 1981 Boardman High School graduate who also was self-employed, cared deeply about the school system and devoted himself to ensuring the success of all students, Lazzeri recalled.

Amstutz served four years on the board before being re-elected last year. He was president from January until his death.

He fulfilled his wish to be a third-generation family member to serve in that capacity, Lazzeri said, noting that his grandfather was on the board from the late 1940s to the early 1950s. In addition, his mother, Barbara Amstutz, was with the board from about the mid- to late 1970s, the superintendent said.

“He comes from a long line of community servers,” Lazzeri added.

Amstutz also was part of a committee that advised the board regarding revisions to the district’s drug-testing policy, which made testing mandatory for anyone wishing to take part in extracurricular activities. His support was aimed at giving students another tool for making positive choices, not to advocate for a lifetime ban or other punitive measures, Lazzeri explained.

“He said, ‘I do not want the death sentence with any of our students. We will not give up on that child,’” the superintendent continued, adding that Amstutz was saddened by the recent drug-related deaths of a few students.

Amstutz also was instrumental in pushing for using school instead of charter buses for field trips because the smaller buses were safer, Lazzeri noted.

Amstutz, a Boardman Rotary Club member and past president, also cared a lot about the football program and called for a no-cut policy for junior high teams so as to encourage students to maintain interest and not give up. His hope also was that such an approach would make it more likely the program would “return to the days of being a state contender,” Lazzeri said.

“He was probably the No. 1 Spartan out there,” Lazzeri added. “He bled maroon and white.”

Along those lines, Amstutz did his best to encourage people to donate to the new $3.7 million Spartan Stadium project to replace the facility built in the 1930s behind Boardman Center Middle School. A groundbreaking ceremony for the turf portion of the stadium took place Friday.

Those who wish to make memorial contributions to the stadium effort in Amstutz’s name are asked to send them to the Boardman Booster Club, P.O. Box 3174, Boardman, OH 44513.

Among Amstutz’s many other virtues was his devotion to his wife, Virginia, and children, Elizabeth and Steven, as well as his ability to listen to others’ complaints, ideas, suggestions and input, Lazzeri continued.

Monday’s board of education meeting was rescheduled for 7 p.m. next Monday at Center Middle School on Market Street.