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Boardman school board hires new superintendent
BOARDMAN
The Boardman Township school board said farewell to two outgoing board members and greeted a new superintendent who will take over the job next year.
The board unanimously agreed to approve the employment of Timothy Saxton, the district’s director of operations, as superintendent, effective Aug. 1.
Saxton has long been the planned successor of Superintendent Frank Lazzeri, who will retire next year after nearly 45 years working in the district.
Lazzeri began his career with the district in 1972. He took the superintendent’s job in 2004.
Saxton has been with the district since 2002, when he became high-school principal. He had that position for 11 years, then became director of operations. Saxton graduated from Boardman in 1984 and earned bachelor of science degrees in mathematics and education at Grove City College in Pennsylvania.
He spoke emotionally at Monday’s meeting about his promotion.
“I’m humbled, I’m honored,” he said. “I look forward to the challenge. ... I think it’s going to be exciting for the future of the Spartans.”
Saxton’s father, Larry Saxton, served as the district’s superintendent from 1996 to 2001.
The vote to hire Saxton was the final vote of two longtime members’ school-board careers. Mark Fulks and Alfred Davis Jr. both expressed gratitude and confidence in the future of the school district at their final meeting Monday.
The terms of Saxton’s three-year contract have yet to be negotiated. The negotiated contract will be brought back to the board for final execution.