Boardman Superintendent Tim Saxton always had a little time to spend with students. He is pictured here dancing with kindergarten students in Pamela Choleva’s class at Stadium Drive Elementary School.

BOARDMAN — School District Superintendent Tim Saxton will not look to renew his retire / rehire contract and will step down officially July 31 to pursue the next chapter in his life, he announced last week.

“I have a lot of information, and I don’t want to just walk away with it,” Saxton said. “I’m going to find something. In fact, I would have no problem coming back as a teacher’s aide.”

Saxton has long been a part of Boardman schools and the education field. He was born into an education family in 1966. His mother Sandy taught in Hubbard while his father Larry started at Youngstown Rayen before moving to the Boardman school district in the mid-1960s as a math teacher. Larry also served as Boardman’s head football coach and later became assistant principal at the former Glenwood Middle School.

“My dad served as superintendent from 1996 to 2000,” Saxton said. “His big project as superintendent was to finish the project known as Auditorium 2000.”

The Auditorium 2000 project is better known today as the Boardman Performing Arts Center.

The younger Saxton spent most of his public school life in Boardman, attending West Boulevard Elementary and Center Middle School before graduating from Boardman High School in 1984. He said his mother was the librarian at West Boulevard when he was in school and stayed there until 2001. Saxton said he was paid 5 cents to put library books away back then.

“I remember one day my mom’s car wouldn’t start so she hopped on my bus,” Saxton said. “All the way to school the kids on the bus were passing their library books to her. She passed in 2020, and we obtained new furniture for the West Library in her honor.”

After he graduated from BHS, he went to Grove City College to pursue an education in electrical engineering. He said he chose Grove City because it was a Division III school. and he wanted to play football.

While the football was good, his major choice was not. Saxton said he spoke with his parents and decided to change to math and education.

“I graduated from Grove City in 1988 and was hired by Bedford schools,” he said. “I spent eight years there teaching math and coaching football, wrestling and track. The track team became state champions.”

Saxton married his wife Gina in 1994 and they moved to Boardman in 1994 when he was offered a math position and an opportunity to coach football and track. In 1999, Saxton became the assistant principal at Boardman High School before becoming the principal two years later. He stayed in that role for 11 years.

In 2013, he applied for Boardman’s director of operations, knowing very well what that meant.

“The decision to be director of operations was really a decision to become superintendent,” Saxton said.

He served as director of operations under Superintendent Frank Lazzeri and helped Boardman build a new sports field at the high school in 2014 and a new stadium in 2015.

In 2016, Lazzeri announced his retirement and the school board selected Saxton to replace him. Two years later, Saxton found himself trying to get a 5.9-mill levy approved to replace funding from the state. The measure passed on the first try in 2018 as a 10-year levy.

Saxton said during that time, the state put a value on each student in Ohio and that value was approximately $6,020. He said because Boardman was rich in commercial and business property, the state gave Boardman only $2,000 per student, leaving the balance to come from the community.

“Every year Boardman was shorted $3.5 million,” he said.

Three years ago, Boardman entered the new state funding formula that takes into account the average income of a district. Under the new formula, school districts like Boardman will phase in over six years until they reach full funding.

“We are in year three of a six-year phase-in,” Saxton said. “We will eventually be at 100%.”

Another levy that passed under his leadership was the 1.9-mill permanent improvement levy in 2012 that passed as a five-year levy. It was renewed in 2017.

In 2022, Saxton and the Board of Education decided to put the levy on the ballot as a replacement that would be continuous, meaning it wouldn’t need to go to voters for replacement every five years.

“Because the funds will be there every year, we are able to borrow against it,” he said. “I am in the process right now of working with the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission to see about replacing Center Intermediate School. I’ll hand that off to the next head Spartan and the leadership of the district.”

Boardman Communications Coordinator Amy Radinovic said, “When you think of legacies, Tim Saxton will always be known for the new stadium.”

While Saxton was pleased to see it finished under his watch, he had a much bigger accomplishment at home. All three of his daughters became math teachers. Anna is in her fourth year at Keystone High School and Alicia is in her first year at Midview High School, both of which are in Lorain County. Ashley is in her first year at Southeast High School in Portage County.

“They are all three Boardman graduates,” Saxton said. “I call them my A team. They will also, all three, be coaching softball this year.”

As for the future after July 31, he said he doesn’t know what he will be doing. He said it is the first time in his life he is leaving a position without having another position lined up. He said timing-wise, it couldn’t be better.

“When I look at the leadership in this office, we have a great team in place and great board members,” he said. “It is a good time for leadership change without a hiccup.”

Saxton will have plenty to keep him busy as he enjoys fishing, camping, boating and operating his jet ski. He also likes to do home improvements and enjoys relaxing on the golf course with his father who is 87 and still enjoys golf himself.

One thing that may not change any time soon are the laundry loads at his house.

“While most people have dark and light loads for the washer, we have a third load called the maroon load,” Saxton said.

He has a good amount of Boardman clothing to go with his 25 maroon ties. He said he has worn a maroon tie every day since he became superintendent.

Throughout his time at Boardman, Saxton said he made a lot of good memories. As far as his next one, he said he will rely on a higher power.

“With a lot of prayer, I’ll figure out the right path,” he said.

jtwhitehouse@vindy.com