On the record – Austintown

WHAT: Township trustees Tuesday by teleconference

PRESENT: Ken Carano, Jim Davis

ABSENT: Steve Kent

Trustees:

• Excused Trustee Steve Kent. Kent is a police officer in Poland Township and had to work due to schedule changes around the Memorial Day holiday;

• Declared the following properties nuisances: 4428 Apsen Drive, 4693 Barrington Drive, 5711 Baylor Ave., 5657 Baylor Ave., 3866 Burkey Road, 4565 Burkey Road, 4710 Burkey Road, 95 Carnegie Ave., 237 Carnegie Ave., 241 Carnegie Ave., 281 South Edgehill Ave., 181 Elmwood Road, 181 Idaho Road, 5381 Kirk Road, 2918 Kirkhaven Drive, 1515 Maplecrest Drive, 4754 Mahoning Ave., 126 North Navarre Ave., 3877 New Road, 4525 New Road, 3961 New Road, 682 Notre Dame Ave., 3757 Nottingham Ave., 57 Parkgate Ave., 1310 Orkney St., 2691 South Raccoon Road, 3592 South Raccoon Road, 245 North Raccoon Road, 5667 Radcliffe Ave., 3210 Redgate Lane, 3230 Redgate Lane, 2937 Redgate Lane, 234 Rosemont Ave., 4191 Staaz Drive, 4308 Wedgewood Drive, 456 Westgate Blvd. and 4480 Woodhurst Drive;

• Declared the following junk vehicles: a red vehicle with a flat tire and an expired license plate at 4263 Patricia Ave., a 2002 Buick and a silver Volkswagen with expired license plates at 4693 Barrington Drive, and a white pickup truck with an expired license plate at 2918 Kirkhaven Drive;

• Approved an agreement with the Mahoning County Board of Commissioners for the Mahoning County Solid Waste Management district for a $12,115 grant for the purpose of mitigating open dumping at the 9/11 Memorial Park recycling drop-off site at 1051 South Raccoon Road. A gate and lighting are being installed at the site, which has been overflowing on Sundays, when recyclables cannot be collected because the transfer station in Poland where items are taken is not open;

• Approved a mutual aid agreement with the Mahoning County Emergency Management Agency to establish terms by which either party may request aid and assistance from the other party in responding to the 2020 COVID-19 disaster that exceeds resources available in their jurisdiction;

• Heard from the township administrator that curbside recycling in the township will resume June 8, per the Mahoning County Green Team.

On the record – Austintown

Austintown

WHAT: Board of Education virtual meeting Thursday

PRESENT: President Don Sherwood, Kathy Mock, Harold Porter, Robin Krempasky, Kim Smrek, Superintendent David Cappuzzello and Treasurer Blaise Karlovic

The board:

• Accepted the resignations of Daniel "Jake" Corbett, assistant varsity girls basketball coach, effective May 4, and Jolene Ross, grade 8 girls basketball coach, effective May 11;

• Appointed James Fisher, Karen Fitch and Katie Dorsey as long-term substitute teachers;

• Did not renew contracts for nonbargaining personnel and stipend-paid personnel on one-year limited contracts and Falcon Pride online teachers and internal tutors on limited one-year extra duty contracts, effective at the end of the 2019-20 school year;

• Did not renew contracts for nonbargaining supplemental athletic and academic personnel and did not renew contracts for nonteaching substitutes at the end of the 2019-20 school year with the reasonable assurance they will be needed for the 2020-21 school year;

• Awarded continuing contracts to the following personnel: Renee Houser, Michelle Battaglia, Brittney Inglis, Steve Krispinsky, Jennifer Noel, Gina Velichko, Melissa Crump, April Loudin, Kristina Miller, Darla Little and Anthony "TJ" Parker;

• Approved renewal agreement with K & Y Insurance Group for blanket student accident insurance coverage with rates and benefits to remain the same;

• Authorized the Austintown Local School District to participate in the voluntary program with myCollege Options, designed to help students in grades 8-11 to plan for post-secondary education;

• Approved the reading improvement plan submitted by district director of curriculum Dr. William Young. This is a requirement for all Ohio school districts with fewer than 80 percent of students scoring proficient or higher on the grade three Ohio State Test in English language arts;

• Approved compensating 2020 spring athletic coaches at 75 percent of their contracted supplemental rate;

• Accepted the following donations: 34 $25 Giant Eagle gift cards from United Way to the food service department; $100 from Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church of Austintown for the Austintown Middle School special education program; $24,024 from the Burton D. Morgan Foundation and the Nordson Corporation Foundation for 137 students in grades one to six to attend STEM Camp Invention Connect; and $13,000 from the Burton D. Morgan Foundation for 96 students in grades seven to nine to participate in the STEM Invention Project;

• Tabled a policy for students at risk of not qualifying for a high school diploma.

On the record – Austintown

WHAT: Board of education meeting Thursday

PRESENT: President Don Sherwood, Kathy Mock, Harold Porter, Robin Krempasky, Kim Smrek, Superintendent David Cappuzzello, Treasurer Blaise Karlovic

The board:

• Accepted a $6,400 proposal from Strollo Architects for softball field dugouts;

l Accepted a $35,570 bid from Dobil Labs for replacement of the Fitch public address system and linking of Austintown Intermediate, Middle and Elementary buildings;

• Approved the following resignations: Warren Beitsch, bus driver, effective Feb. 21; Michele Powell, bus driver, effective March 4; Claudette Boris, tutor, effective Feb. 24; Samantha Mehle, sweeper cleaner, effective March 9; Paula Lipke, assistant transportation supervisor, effective March 16; Carly Griffin, grade 8 volleyball coach, effective April 8; Samantha Marscio, Fitch girls freshman soccer coach, effective March 28; Bruce Spicer, varsity assistant football coach, effective March 28; and Adam Leskanic, Fitch art / promotions club adviser, effective June 30;

• Approved a $10,000 grant for Austintown Elementary School STEM associated with the Project Lead the Way launch in partnership with ArcerlorMittal and a $2,800 grant in materials from the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation to support phonemic awareness;

• Approved the following administrative contracts: Jeff Swavel, assistant principal at Fitch High School, for three years; Brian Racz, assistant principal at Fitch High School, for three years and Timothy Pappagallo, assistant principal at Austintown Intermediate, for three years. All contracts are effective Aug. 1 to July 31, 2023, and are in accordance with the administrative salary schedule;

• Approved an administrative contract for Thomas Ventresco, technology supervisor, for three years effective July 1 through June 30, 2023;

• Awarded the following food service bids: Smith Foods Inc. for dairy, Papa John's Pizza for pizzas and Alfred Nickles Bakery Inc. for bakery items;

• Approved the service agreement with Steward Hillside Rehabilitation Hospital for comprehensive athletic training services to Austintown Local Schools students participating in certain athletic programs requiring training services for the remainder of the 2019-20 school year and for the next two academic years;

• Approved a consulting agreement with School Insurance Consultants LLC for property, liability and fleet insurance, effective April 1;

• Approved a change in substitute bus driver rates from $14.50 per hour to $16 per hour, effective at the start of the 2020-21 school year;

• Accepted the following donations to the food service department: 800 paper bags, valued around $120, from Rulli Brothers; 4,500 paper bags, valued around $657, from Giant Eagle; 3,000 paper bags, valued around $450, from Save-a-Lot; $1,000 from James Pieron; $100 from Tom and Georgia Case; 30 Giant Eagle gift cards from United Way of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley on behalf of the William Neckerman Foundation and the Lamb Foundation; and $1,000 from an anonymous donor. Also accepted $100 from the Rev. Paul Gerrard RDE Award for a graduating senior at Fitch from Ruth Gerrard Cole, and $50 from Beta Pi Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma Honor Society of woman educators for a deserving and qualified senior in the Fitch RDE program.

-- Allie Vugrincic