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South Range board OKs pay increase for some

CANFIELD — The South Range school board this week approved an increase in pay for substitute custodians, aides and bus drivers.

The board approved an increase in pay for substitute custodians and aides to $11 an hour and bus drivers to $16 per hour.

Schools Superintendent Bethany Carlson said the increases are in response to surrounding districts also increasing their pay.

“To keep up with at least not losing who we have here, we felt it was time that we needed to make sure we honor our employees,” she said.

The board also approved a memorandum of understanding with the South Range Education Association and South Range Classified Education Association to continue off days regarding the Covid pandemic. The MOU provides the continuation of an agreement that allows 10 days off not counted toward employees’ sick time in the case of quarantine for Covid. Carlson said the action was required last year during the pandemic and will be continued this year.

Additionally, the board approved the high school robotics club for the 2021-2022 school year with Erin Burns, Jeffrey Burns and Nikki Cardinal as unpaid volunteer advisors.

Under personnel, the board approved Christine Horton and Sue Kennedy as a part-time educational aides, Kaden Shehan for technology support at $11 an hour as needed, Chris Kondas as a daily substitute teacher $100 a day through December 2021, Kara Cullar as a student helper in the K-12 Complex cafeteria for the 2021-2022 school year at a rate of $8.76 per hour not to exceed three hours per day, Dan Pappalardo and Brenda Petit as an English Language Learner Teachers, Tammy Witmer as an OBI (on board instructor) for the 2021-2022 school year at a rate of $20 per hour, Cade Frank and Anne Marie Naples as volunteer Speech and Debate coaches, and Dr. Jonathan Pulido as volunteer team doctor for the seventh- and eighth-grade football program.

The board also approved the resignation of Lisa Blythe as a part-time educational aide, Michelle Colettis as a part-time educational aide.

Also at the meeting, Summer Zickefoose, parent of two elementary students, read an open letter issued by the Ohio Children’s Hospital Association urging school districts to mandate mask wearing. The letter she read urged the use of every tool available to battle the Covid virus including wearing masks at school. She said she and her husband previously sent a letter to Carlson and the school board to encourage the mask mandate before school even started.

Carlson affirmed after the meeting the district is making masks optional at school, but required on the bus per requirements issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Gov. Mike DeWine has left the decision for mask mandates in the hands of local school boards.

The next regular board meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Oct. 18 at the K-12 campus auditorium.

khowell@salemnews.net

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