Austintown hires teachers, takes final step for renewal levies this November

July 1, 2015 at 12:00a.m.

By ROBERT CONNELLY

AUSTINTOWN

Hirings of several new teachers were approved by the Austintown Board of Education this week.

Those openings were from retirements and attrition, said Jeremy Batchelor, Austintown assistant superintendent.

The hirings are: Salvador Bolan, intervention specialist at Austintown Intermediate School, bachelor’s degree from Youngstown State University; Monica Ciarniello, Fitch math teacher, YSU; Dominick Daltorio, Fitch math teacher, YSU; Jason Stroh, kindergarten through fifth-grade physical education, YSU; Lauren Sheridan, kindergarten through fifth-grade visual arts teacher, master’s, Mansfield University; Andrea Maurice, Fitch Spanish teacher, Wittenberg University; and Kalee Rimer, Fitch integrated science teacher, University of Toledo.

All of them are new to the teaching profession except for Maurice.

All teachers with no experience and a bachelor’s degree begin at $31,217. Sheridan, with a master’s degree, begins at $33,714, and Maurice, with two years’ experience, begins at $34,526.

“We still have a few more [hires]. Looking at four to five openings right now,” Batchelor said. “As the summer goes on, we continue our hiring process.”

The board also took the final step for two renewal levies to be in front of voters this November. A five-year, 4.9-mill renewal levy first was passed in 1991 and collected $1,763,752 in calendar year 2015. A five-year, 7.3-mill renewal levy was first passed in 1996 and collected $3,157,297 in calendar year 2015.

Officials from the Mahoning County Auditor’s Office said that before rollback deductions, an owner of a $100,000 home pays $181.58 annually on the 7.3-mill levy and $99.71 yearly on the 4.9-mill levy.

“With the two renewals, there are absolutely no new taxes,” said Mary Ann Herschel, district treasurer.