The Galion City School District made Superintendent Mark Stefanik’s resignation official Wednesday morning, however the original resignation date will be coming a little earlier.
When news broke on July 1 that Galion’s Superintendent Mark Stefanik was resigning to take up a post at the Carrituck County School District in North Carolina, Stefanik was going to be stepping down from Galion’s position on December 1, 2015. That date was moved up to October 1, 2015 when the North Carolina school district sent word that the superintendent position at that school district would be opening up earlier due to the retirement of their superintendent.
Galion Board of Education President Jennifer Kuns explained the steps that they will take to find a replacement for Stefanik.
“We are actually working with Mid-Ohio. They have been successful with our searches in the past, and we will start meeting with Linda T. Keller next week,” Kuns said.
Galion Superintendent Stefanik explained the reason behind his resignation
“I was offered a position in a school district, and it just happened to be the district where I started my educational career.” Stefanik said. “So I was a teacher there, I had my first administrative position there, and had the opportunity to go back there and be Superintendent of that school district. The conversations with that district and the interviews went well, and the board selected me as their candidate of choice. So that offering was made to me so I had to make the choice of staying put in Galion, or go back to where it all started., and just getting back to the district where it all started seemed like the right fit.”
Superintendent Stefanik’s resignation wasn’t the only resignation approved by the Galion School Board Wednesday morning. High school/middle school phys. ed. teacher Gary M. Stafford, intermediate/primary school music Jennifer Eachus, and school bus driver Vicki Teerman’s resignations were all approved by the Galion BOE.
Not all items on Wednesday’s special board meeting were resignations as the Galion School Board approved the employment of high school/middle school phys. ed. teacher Kevin Williams, seventh grade math teacher Jessica Hamill, eighth grade science teacher Amanda Kent, middle school guidance counselor primary school intervention specialist Tonya Wagner, bus mechanic Michael Shupp, and high school educational assistant Kyle Strauch.
The Galion School Board also approved a $400,000 transfer from the General Fund to the Permanent Improvement Fund in order to install/relocate access points, uninterrupted power source batteries, and network switches.
An agreement with for coverage of property/casualty/general liability for the fiscal year of 2016 was also approved. Galion Treasurer Charlene Parkinson explained that she was strongly considering a different provider and plan, but was able to save the school $8,000.