Ohio School Boards Association northeast representative Reno Contipelli presents Aaron Hinchliffe with a certificate of appreciation in honor of Aaron’s late grandfather, Gary Peruchetti, who served 27 years as a Lisbon school board member until his death this spring. The presentation took place Thursday at the school board meeting. (Photo by Mary Ann Greier)

LISBON — Longtime Lisbon school board member Gary Peruchetti received a posthumous honor Thursday from the Ohio School Boards Association, recognizing his tenure of 27 years service.

Peruchetti was serving his seventh term on the board, a seat he had held since 1996, when he passed away in May.

According to Ohio School Boards Association northeast representative Reno Contipelli, who presented the certificate to Peruchetti’s grandson Aaron Hinchliffe, many school board members don’t finish their first term or don’t run again after one term.

“When you do 27 years, you’re a special class of board member,” he said, thanking Hinchliffe and the rest of Peruchetti’s family.

The certificate said the OSBA “recognizes Gary Peruchetti in appreciation for his 27 years of service and dedication to public education, his local communities and to the children of the Lisbon Exempted Village School District and the Columbiana County Career and Technical Center.”

Hinchliffe has followed in Peruchetti’s footsteps in education, serving as a governing board member of the Columbiana County Educational Service Center.

“My grandfather loved being a school board member,” he said, noting how much he enjoyed going to the OSBA capital conference.

Hinchliffe, a Lisbon David Anderson High School graduate, shared how teachers have approached him and told him the impact his grandfather had on them.

“He made sure everybody felt valued,” Hinchliffe said.

He thanked the OSBA on behalf of the family and said they’re working on establishing a scholarship in Peruchetti’s name.

Superintendent Joe Siefke said the OSBA contacted him about honoring Peruchetti.

“We really appreciate them coming in and recognizing Mr. Peruchetti. I thank his grandson for coming and accepting on behalf of the family,” Siefke said.

In other business, the board accepted a $10,000 anonymous donation to help cover school lunch debt from the past school year. Siefke said the children always get fed. They don’t go without if they owe money. Reminder letters are sent out to families when charges get up there.

“This goes a long way in taking care of that debt,” he said.

The board welcomed new McKinley Elementary School teachers Cory Wonner and Lauren Stauffer after approving their limited one-year certified contracts effective July 1 2023 through June 30, 2024. Wonner will serve as the title teacher for $39,797 on the Step 0 master degree scale. Stauffer will serve an intervention specialist for $36,015 on the Step 0 bachelor degree scale.

With the acceptance of the resignation of elementary teacher Tiffany Toot, who relocated to Florida,

and the move of Dave Pancurak to the junior/senior high school, that left some openings at McKinley. Toot had been subbing in the building already after graduating in December with her teaching degree. Wonner spent many years working at the Salem Community Center and the CenterPlex.

In other personnel matters, the board issued a one-year contract to Courtney Morrell as seasonal stadium caretaker for $15 per hour not to exceed 500 hours; approved classified substitutes bus driver Raema Gori, cafeteria, custodian and aide Cynthia Lanterman and custodian Courtney Morrell; approved Bill Stanton as assistant athletic director and Bill Meek as a volunteer for football; and approved the following academic supplemental contracts, elementary science club advisor Beth Hiscox, National Honor Society advisor Lisa Baker, McKinley reading club advisor and junior class advisor Emily Long, elementary math club advisor Becky McCullough, elementary student senate advisor Missy Kemats, McKinley music program director Debbie Fonner, chorus jr/sr high school director Robert Bacha, sophomore class advisor Ryan Snyder, Spanish club advisor and high school academic challenge Meredith Deichler, health careers advisor Kella Haren, Power of the Pen advisor Madison Daugherty, junior high honors/builders club advisor Ashley Wallace, junior high student senate advisor Stephen Hlaudy, high school marching band Daniel Paterson, high school assistant marching band Madison Zests, high school department chair math Linda D’Ippolito and Janet Lane, high school department chair ELA Teresa Crawford, McKinley department chair English Gwen Weikart and McKinley department chair math Kristi Slagle.

The next school board meeting has been changed to a Wednesday, at 5 p.m. Sept. 13.