Staff photo / Bob Coupland Members of the Girard Education Association applaud after their leadership speaks to Girard’s board of education Thursday on the need to maintain teaching staff in the school district and to not cut four teaching positions. The board voted 3-2 at the meeting to cut three teachers next school year but plans to hold a special meeting Monday to bring one teacher back.

GIRARD — Citing financial issues facing the city’s school district, the board of education in a 3-2 vote Thursday cut three teaching positions for the next school year. However, officials said they plan to hold a special meeting Monday to bring back one of the positions.

More than 75 people, mostly teachers wearing red shirts, attended the board meeting where Girard Education Association members voiced their concerns over the cuts.

The positions cut were a third grade teacher, music teacher and intervention specialist.

The cuts come one month after the board voted in April to cut a technology assistant and an assistant athletic director.

Board members Vincent Ragozine, Joseph Castor and Tammy King voted in support of the cuts while board members Scott Strain and Zachary Steiner voted against the action.

A fourth teaching elimination had Ragozine and King voting for; Strain and Steiner against; and Castor abstaining. The 2-2-1 vote meant the motion failed.

Strain said he has been wrestling with the motion to cut teachers but said he can’t support that.

“I have been on the fence about this but after hearing from people I can’t support this,” Strain said.

Ragozine said he appreciates hearing from all sides on the issues but supports the recommendation from the administration that the cuts are needed due to district finances.

Ragozime said plans to bring back one teacher, who will serve in a different position.

Ragozine said a special meeting will take place at 4 p.m. Monday at the high school to hire a teacher and other business.

He said there will also be discussion on the one teacher who did not get cut due to the failed vote.

Before the vote, members of the Girard Education Association expressed their concerns.

Jen Cadel, association vice president, said “Family comes first. We are asking. We are begging that you put your Girard city schools family first and explore other options besides staff reductions.

“We implore you to look at all of these people here today. We are teachers who always have students’ best interests in mind. We can’t afford to lose teachers or staff. That is not in the best interest of any student. In this day and age, it takes a village of teachers to teach children. What it does not take is a new scoreboard or marque.”

James Tedesco, a 25-year high school mathematics / statistics teacher, said the contract requires the removal of the lower paid teachers on the pay scale. He said starting teachers make around $45,000.

Tedesco said the district paid $58,000 for a marque replacement and $28,500 for refurbishing the high school gym floor, which neither were needed.

He said the district should seek grants when possible for projects or go to school alumni, sponsors or the community for support and donations.

“We need our teachers. Don’t take the money out of the taxpayers’ hands,” Tedesco said.

He said whole enrollment has gone down in some grade levels. such as kindergarten. It has gone up in other grades, such as third grade, showing a slide of each grade level enrollment comparison from 2024 and 2025.

Tedesco said he wanted to hear from the board members on why they voted for or against the cuts.

The board also voted to extend the contract of Superintendent Bryan O’Hara from August 2026 to July 2020.

Treasurer Maureen Lloyd said O’Hara has agreed to a three-year pay freeze as well as contribute 15% toward his health care and have fewer vacation days. She said the move will save the district $40,000 over the three years.

Earlier this week, the board met to discuss district finances. Officials said they have made more than $200,000 in cuts to avoid a projected deficit.

O’Hara the district’s main costs are in personnel, where officials had to look to make some of the cuts.

He said being good stewards of the district’s funds is what is important to provide the best education for the students.

TRANSPORTATION CONTRACT

Also on the agenda was a motion for a two-year contract for a transportation director, which Steiner said he could not support when teachers are being cut.

“Academics should remain our primary focus and number one goal of our district. Teachers and instruction are what is important for student successes. We need to do what we can to not cut make that directly affect classroom instruction. The transportation director position needs to be reconsidered when the district is making cuts to academics,” Steiner said.

Ragozine said the transportation position is needed due to the difficulty the district faces in getting bus drivers to transport the students.

“Busing is a major issue for the district and the transportation position is needed for that,” he said.

The position was approved by a 3-2 vote with Ragozine, King, and Castor voting for and Steiner and Strain voting against.