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On the record

Austintown

WHAT: Board of education meeting Sept. 24

PRESENT: Fred Marcum, president; Kathy Mock, vice president; Harold Porter; Don Sherwood; Kim Smrek; Timothy Kelty, superintendent; and Blaise Karlovic, treasurer.

The board:

• Approved the following donations: $600 from Girls Soccer Boosters; $500 from Fitch Class of 1976; $200 from Mahoning and Shenango Valley Chapter of Military Officers Association of America; $500 from Disabled American Veterans of WW Chapter 2; $15 from the Steiner family;

$50 from YM Camera; $250 worth of school supplies from trustee Monica Deavers; $250 worth of school supplies from Camielle Routt; and $100 worth of school supplies from Home Depot.

• Approved the transfer of $286,372.09 the general fund to termination / retirement benefits;

• Approved the submission and projections of expenditures, revenues and fund balances for fiscal year 2026 and for the three succeeding fiscal years ending 2027, 2028 and 2029.

• Approved the following resignations: Dunneenia McCrae, bus aide; Annastacia Ray, special education paraprofessional; Robert Millich, bus aide; Jodie Hanna, food service, Sept. 17; Riley Hostetler, Title I aide; Michelle Benner, termination of employment as a bus driver; and Vincent Lilly, termination of employment as a sweeper cleaner.

• Approved the following Ohio Association of Public School Employees appointments: Tiffany Anderson, special education paraprofessional, nine-month, 5.75-hour position; Malynda Carter, paraprofessional, nine-month, 5.75-hour position; Thomas Cucaro, special education paraprofessional, nine-month, 5.75-hour position, replacing Annastacia Ray; Mathew Cramer, bus driver, nine-month, 3.5-hour position; Justina Meade, food service, nine-month, 3-hour position, replacing Nicole Brundage; Stephanie Miles, special education paraprofessional, nine-month, 5.75-hour position, replacing Breanna Sharpe; Anthony Rudolphi, paraprofessional, nine-month, 5.75-hour position, replacing Stacie Judge; and Madison Schrader, medical assistant.

• Approved the following OAPSE transfers: Breanna Sharpe, special education paraprofessional; Kimberly Chamberlain, medical assistant, 5.75-hour flex position, nine-month, restructured position; Tracy Staula, paraprofessional to special education secretary, 10-month, replacing Susan Roberts; and Jodie Stipanovich, paraprofessional nine-month, 5.75-hours, replacing Tracy Staula.

• Approved the following nonbargaining unit personnel: Betsy Cercone, Falcon Fives Program PreK aide at $12 per hour, limited to 28.75 hours per week; and Thomas Lenton, Falcon Pride online tutor at $20 per hour limited to 28.75 hours per week.

• Approved the following Title I grant funded positions: Deborah Hagerty, attendance coordinator, limited to 5.75 hours per day not to exceed 166 days at $16.50 per hour; Michael Polder, aide, limited to 7 hours daily, not to exceed 166 days at $16.50 per hour; and Theresa Kelly, Title I tutor, limited to 5.75 hours daily, not to exceed 172 days at $25 per hour.

• Approved the following leave of absences: Troy Balint, FMLA; Jennifer Houston, intermittent FMLA; Stephen Krispinsky, intermittent FMLA; Kelley Ferguson, intermittent FMLA; Teresa Smereka-Petrilliintermittent FMLA; January Nelson, intermittent FMLA; Nicole Wilson-Kocherintermittent FMLA; Elise Cretella intermittent FMLA; Margaret Mascarella, unpaid leave; Robert Liddell; Veronica Mosley; and Constance Ortz, rescind request for five unpaid days.

• Approved the Austintown Education Association lateral advancement for salary schedule: Laura Akers Jessica Beall, Pamela Berni, Catherine Brancaccio, Amy Brungard, Victoria Chiera, Jessica Emery, Paul Farbman, Paul Farr, Kristie Gregory, Christian Johnson, April Loudin, Tiffany Mraz, Carly Neher, Jennifer Noel, Marina Ohlin, Marissa Platton, Alexis Rice, Adam Rivello, Daniel Schnurrenberger, Angela Surace, Heidi Thompson and Kaitlyn White.

• Approved the following academic supplementals for the 2025-26 school year: Gina Cardillo, Falcon Media, general manager, $3,498; Meghan Ladner, district EL teacher, $1,000; and Andrea Reed, state testing professional.

• Approved academic and other supplementals for the 2025-26 school year for non-AEA member Jason Long, speech and debate coach, 10%.

• Approved the following athletic supplemental positions for the 2025-26 school year for AEA members. (An asterisk denotes longevity percentage. Two asterisks denote maximum longevity percentage): Allison Jones, assistant athletic director, 13%; Brian Beany, basketball head varsity boys, 29%; John Hudson, basketball freshman boys, 16%; Daniel Horacek, basketball head varsity girls, 24%; Joseph Paris, baseball head coach, 23%; Frank Pugliese, baseball assistant, 12%; John Drummond, baseball assistant, 11%; Steven Ward, softball head, 23%; Jerry Bruff, softball assistant, 16%; Nicole Fiddler, softball assistant, 12%; Seth Steiner, track head boys, 23%; Michael Dahmen, track head girls, 19%; Nicole Steiner, track assistant boys, 11%; John Burd, wrestling head, 26%; Brian Forgac, wrestling head, 15%; Brad Clyde, track head boys, 13%*; Brian Forgac, track head boys, 15%; Brian Beany, track head girls, 15%; Amy Diefenderfe, track head girls, 10%; and John Hudson, track assistant girls, 14%.

• Approved the following athletic-event staff: Roxanne Alexander, Amanda Krygowski, Veronica Mosley and Jessica Tomic.

• Approved the following nonteaching substitute personnel: custodial — Tammy Baytos, Mary Hahn, Jaden Karr, Robert Millich, Kevin Schmidt and Maryjo Savage; clerical — Michele Peace; volunteers — Nathaniel Armstrong, football, and Mark Barnette, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, adviser.

• Approved the following student trips: Fitch High School marching band spring band trip to Macon, Georgia, March 20-23, 2026; and Fitch softball trip to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, April 6-10, 2026.

• Approved the new student-managed activity / club at Austintown Fitch High School, Austintown Fitch Industrial Arts Club, and its policies, procedures, and guidelines.

• Approved the master commodity agreement and service agreement between NRG Business Marketing LLC and the Austintown Local School District for natural gas transactions, effective Nov. 1 through Oct. 31, 2026.

• Approved a memorandum of understanding with the College of Wooster for student teaching requirements.

• Susan Wojnar

Hubbard

WHAT: Board of Education meeting Sept. 22

PRESENT: Anna Martin, William Cummings, Josh Barr, Donald Newell and Amanda O’Neill.

The board:

• Accepted the following donations: $11,000 to the athletic department from Greenwood’s Hubbard Chevrolet, Inc; $4,000 from Hubbard Rebounders for Hudl; $3,196 and $1,000 from the Hubbard Touchdown Club for football uniforms; $1,000 from the Hubbard Volleyball Boosters for Hudl; $1,256 from the Hubbard Elementary Parents Association for elementary school field trips; separate $750 donations from Disilvio’s Family Grill and Eagle Wear, Inc. for student football tickets; $500 from the Hubbard High School Class of 1968 to the food pantry; $200 from Artsonia to the Elementary Principal’s Fund; $1,000 and $100 from James W. Reuff and Ohio Association of Public School Employees Local 4 Chapter 209 to the school lunch program, in memory of Becky Reuff.

• Accepted Renae Jenkins’s resignation for retirement, effective June 1, 2026.

• Accepted Theresa Stimpetich’s resignation for retirement, effective June 1, 2026.

• Approved six basketball, 16 wrestling, three softball and baseball and eight track coaches for the 2025-2026 athletic season.

• Approved a one-year, limited 189-day contract for Russell Speerbrecher, Jr. as a bus driver.

• Approved wage clarifications for the following pool employees, effective September 1,

2025: High School Diving Coach and Swim Coach Elizabeth Brand at $16 per hour; Kraken Swim Coach Samuel Esposito at $12 an hour.

• Brandon Cantwell

On the record

McDonald

WHAT: Board of education meeting Wednesday

PRESENT: Nick Gallo, Kristina Merola, Jessica Krumpak, Mike Morris and Donna Shields

The board:

• Heard from Superintendent Gary Carkido of the district’s 4.5 stars on the school report card, noting the dedication of students and staff striving to always improve for success.

• Approved a one-year forecasting program agreement with K-12 Business Consulting Inc. at $8,150 to assist the school treasurer in various areas.

• Approved renewal of pure results water treatment service program with Garidner for one year at $2,616 for both district buildings.

• Approved a three-year intelligent service agreement with Gardiner for the elementary school at $15,684 for HVAC system alerts.

• Bob Coupland

On the record

McDonald

WHAT: Village council meeting Wednesday

PRESENT: Sean Schmidt, Kerry Reckard, John Metzinger, Kyle Joynes, Chad Jones, Don Smith and Mayor Ray Lewis

Council:

● Approved the use of the Woodland Park ballfields on Sept. 21 and 28 by an adult softball league for two tournament games.

● Announced the village Oktoberfest will take place Oct. 11 at the park with vendors, a craft show and musical entertainment. Officials said activities are planned throughout the day.

• Bob Coupland

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