By KAREN MUNDY
The Press-News
CANTON TWP. -- During a regular meeting of the Canton Local Board of Education on Monday night, several personnel issues were decided to prepare for the 2008-09 school year.
The personnel moves included the official hiring of Matt Kramer as a teacher and head boys basketball coach. Kramer will replace Henry Cobb as basketball coach. He also will teach at the high school.
Other personnel moves included approving the employment of Charles Larsuel, part-time teaching assistant; Chris Noll, principal at Walker Elementary; Nick Stepanovich, assistant principal at Walker; Diane Swink, guidance counselor at the high school; Anne Bowman, continuing contract effective in the 2008-09 school year; and Tim Matthews and Tim Narduzzi, substitute bus drivers.
Summer help hired included David Saylor, summer school teacher at Multi-County Juvenile Attention Center; Rick Toney, paint crew; Michelle Stanley-Swab, Devin Storch, Jessica Elsesser and Robbie Dale, student bus cleaning; Ben Foringer and Ryan Greene, student custodial helper; Tom Bratten, Gateway Academy coordinator; Jim Gotshall, Jennifer Kruger, Kendra Lewis, Mark Holshu, Brian Mohn, John Philippi and John Pye, Gateway Academy; Sara Ceo and Diana Bevington, student workers at Gateway Academy; Sarah Richardson, Emily Wojtaskzek, Kara Richardson and Val Strasser, student office help; John Pye and John Philippi, maintenance help; Jim Eckinger, technology, as needed; and Kristofer Roberts, Greg Fach and Zach Serafini, student technology.
The board granted supplemental coaching contracts to Don Thorley, assistant varsity baseball, and Darren Thorley, volunteer varsity baseball.
Resignations and/or retirements that were accepted by the board were Charles Larsuel, who is retiring as dean of students at Canton South; Beth Michael, resignation as school psychologist; Carol Young, retiring as principal at Amos McDannel Elementary; Bobbi L. Newell, resigning as teacher at Canton South; Dan Datkuliak, resigning as assistant principal at Canton South; Renae L. Snyder, resigning as health counselor; and Annie Good, resigning as a teacher at Amos McDannel.
Before the meeting ended, superintendent Teresa Purses complimented state legislators who "went to bat" for Canton Local to correct an error that took away some of the school funding during the last school year. She said State Rep. Scott Oelslager, State Sen. Kirk Schuring and State Rep. Stephen Slesnick were helpful in seeing that Canton Local will receive the funds lost last year.
In other business, the board:
* APPROVED a tuition waiver for the 2008-09 school year for a student under the "Children Living with Grandparents" law;
* AMENDED the annual appropriations for fiscal year 2007-08 due to new sources of revenues such as grants;
* ADOPTED temporary appropriations to pay the obligations incurred during the first three months of the new fiscal year, which stared July 1;
* APPROVED the transfer of funds from the General Fund to the Athletic Fund and the Uniform Supplies Fund;
* ACCEPTED the donation of fund-raising items for the art department, which will help art teacher Chris Bergert and others continue fund-raising activities at the Hall of Fame festivities;
* APPROVED an increase in consumable fees for the 2008-09 school year as follows: kindergarten, from $15 to $20; grades 1-2, from $25 to $35; grades 3-5, from $25 to $40; and grades 6-8, from $15 to $30.
* AGREED to hold a public auction to dispose of obsolete industrial arts equipment; the auction will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, July 26 at the high school, with Russ Kiko Auctioneers conducting the sale;
* ACCEPTED several donations, including $2,500 from the Wildcat Run, $250 from the Rotary Club of Canton South, $400 from BellStores Inc., for academic programs from their "My School Spirit Sticker" promotion and several more donations;
* APPROVED the 2008-09 policy statement for the National School Lunch and Breakfast Program;
* ACCEPTED the following grants: Business & Industry -- CTE Programs in the amount of $10,000 to the high school; Gateway to Technology Summer Academy -- 2008 in the amount of $10,000 to the high school;
* APPROVED instructional materials for the health care technology: Career Foundation;
* AGREED to continue membership in the Ohio Coalition for Equity and Adequacy at a cost of 50 cents per student;
* APPROVED the first reading of board policy concerning student assessment and academic prevention/intervention services;
* ENTERED into an executive session to discuss personnel.
The next regular meeting of the board will be 7:30 p.m. Aug. 11 at the administrative center.