Board members Jakubec, Benyo give farewells to school board

Staff report

AUSTINTOWN

The board of education meeting this week was the last for board members Ken Jakubec and Alex Benyo.

Jakubec served a total of 20 years on the school board, with a gap of 11 years between his first four terms.

“I wanted to thank all of the people who supported me for 20 years,” Jakubec said. “Hopefully, that’s the last time you’ll see me up here.”

Superintendent Vince Colaluca said Jakubec returned at a turning point for public education with the introduction of the No Child Left Behind Act and further state standardized testing.

Benyo was appointed to replace board member Louis Chine in October 2016. For a little more than a year, he has acted as board president.

“The dedication of the people in this system is phenomenal,” he said. “Support them. Education is a difficult business. No offense, kids.”

Benyo and his wife donated 300 shares of Apple Inc. stock to the school district for its athletic complex project. When liquidated, the stock is valued at about $51,000, according to NASDAQ.

The board authorized application to the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission’s Active Planning Process.

The commission will evaluate Fitch High School, and the findings will determine if the school needs to participate in a program addressing its facility’s needs. If that’s the case, the program would begin in July 2020.