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LISBON -- When the Lisbon school board meets to reorganize for the new year at 5 p.m. Jan. 11, board President T.K. Hiscox said it will be different.
That's because two longtime board members, Jim Smith and Martina Grimm, won't be sitting to his left anymore. Their terms ended Dec. 31 and they both chose not to seek re-election.
During the December meeting, he thanked them for their service, as members of the administrative team also wished them well and offered their gratitude, recognizing the support both Smith and Grimm have provided over the years.
"Thank you for your time here, for your dedication to the board and the students of Lisbon," Superintendent Joe Siefke said, adding they would be receiving gifts later that night during a staff gathering.
Smith, a retired former chief deputy of the Columbiana County Sheriff's Office, was appointed to the board in 2000 and then elected and re-elected multiple times, serving at one point as board president. Grimm, a longtime staff member at the Community Action Agency of Columbiana County, was appointed in 2011 and also elected and re-elected to multiple terms.
Voters chose Brittany Tyler, a Lisbon grad and U.S. Army veteran, to fill one of those open four-year terms starting Jan. 1. The board will have to choose the other new member since no one ran for the other open seat. Tyler also works for CAA as a program assistant.
Board member Jennifer Whitman, who was appointed in June to fill the seat left vacant by the death of longtime board member Gary Peruchetti Jr., was elected in November to serve the remaining two years of the unexpired term.
In other business at the recent meeting, the board agreed to hire Kyle Zimmerman as band/choir director due to an extended health-related leave of absence for Bob Bacha. High School Principal Keith Edenfield said Zimmerman came highly recommended, went to Youngstown State University and had done some work in the music programs at East Palestine and Warren JFK.
The board also accepted the resignation of Christine Freeland as high school secretary, approved the reassignments of Lisa McCoy to high school secretary from McKinley school secretary and of Katrina Wallace to McKinley school secretary from McKinley preschool aide, approved Zane Tullis as a seasonal maintenance worker, accepted the resignation of Alexandria Kerchofer as varsity cheerleading advisor and named Ryan Stauffer as junior high boys basketball volunteer, Emily Carr as varsity assistant cheerleading advisor and Peyton Blackburn as junior high cheerleading advisor.
The board established $75 per student per course as the stipend for online instructors, approving Ashley Wallace for seven students, Jon Burnell for 12 students, Michael Miller for 10 students, Lauren Glenn for four students, Jim Watt for five students, Dave Crismon for three students, Natalie Vantilburg for eight students and Karly Rudibaugh for four students. The board also issued a stipend of $100 each to staff members who completed three gifted professional development hours.
A contract was approved for S.A. Comunale Co. Inc. of Warren for annual inspections at McKinley for $500 for the back flow prevention devices, dry fire sprinkler system and wet system and at David Anderson Jr./Sr. High School for $1,100 for wet sprinkler system and fire pump test and inspections.
The board also approved the district nutrition compliance report adopted by the state of Ohio for nutrition and food safety, accepted a $300 donation from the RAA Data Service to the DAHS Class of 2027, approved Ohio School Boards Association membership dues for 2024 for $4,519 and approved Treasurer Jennifer Coldsnow as president pro tem for the reorganizational meeting.
mgreier@mojonews.com