TALLMADGE NAMES SUPERINTENDENT

Saturday, June 5, 1999

By Colette M. Jenkins, Beacon Journal staff writer

The new superintendent for the city's school district is no stranger to the community.

"Going to Tallmadge is like going home. My parents, sister and many, many friends live there," Vincent D. Frammartino, 51, said. "Tallmadge is a wonderful community."

Frammartino, superintendent of the Windham Exempted Village Schools in Portage County, was hired yesterday by the Board of Education. The board voted unanimously to give him a three-year contract at $83,000 annually.

Although Frammartino's start date is Aug. 1, he will be paid on a per diem basis as needed in July.

Board President Melanie Bushey said the board is confident he is what the district needs.

"He is very excited about coming to Tallmadge, and we need some new energy," she said. "The board believes he will come in and pull the community together with his enthusiasm and energy."

Frammartino was one of two finalists interviewed last week by the board. The other candidate, Tallmadge High School Principal Russell D. Jones, informed the board Thursday that he planned to accept employment elsewhere and should no longer be considered for the superintendent's position.

Jones could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Despite the fact that Frammartino was the only candidate left, Bushey said the board did not hire him by default. The board could have opted to renew its search, she said.

"Mr. Frammartino is very capable of heading this district," Bushey said. "As the unanimous vote by the board indicates, he has our confidence."

Frammartino, a Cuyahoga Falls resident, will replace Robert G. Love, who will retire and leave the district June 30.

Frammartino has headed the 1,100-student Windham district and managed its $1.9 million budget since 1994. Tallmadge has 2,100 students and a $5 million operating budget.

One of the first issues Frammartino will address involves facilities improvement -- an issue that has split the community.

Voters will decide a 25-year, $24 million bond issue on the Aug. 3 ballot to build a new high school, convert the existing high school to a middle school and improve existing school buildings.

"I'm going to meet and talk with some of the people in the district and the community to get as much information and insight as possible on what the issues are," Frammartino said. "From there, we will proceed to do what we can to get the bond issue passed."

Frammartino said his leadership style lends itself to input from community members. He described himself as "results-oriented, creative, a good listener and very honest and upfront."

In addition to serving as superintendent in Windham, Frammartino also was principal at Windham High School and Windham Junior High School. He was assistant principal at Ravenna High School, coordinator of business services in the Cuyahoga Falls district and a teacher in the Woodridge and Akron school systems.

1999 AKRON BEACON JOURNAL