Donatone hired to help out in Geneva schools
Apr. 12—GENEVA — A familiar face will be providing some help to administer the Geneva Area City School District moving forward.
The district Board of Education voted unanimously at a special meeting on Thursday night to hire Ron Donatone as an independent contractor to help Substitute Superintendent David Riley while he fills in for Superintendent Terri Hrina-Treharn.
Donatone will start today, and will be paid $125 per hour for his work. The agreement will run as long as Riley feels is necessary.
In a press release distributed to reporters after the meeting, Donatone said he looks forward to helping Riley during this time.
"I have a long history working for the Geneva Area City Schools and I hope that my experience will be beneficial to Mr. Riley and the school district," he said in the release.
Donatone worked for the district for 35 years, five years as a teacher, 19 years as a a principal, and 10 years as superintendent, he said.
Board President Marti Milliken Dixon said the board hopes Donatone will help fill in gaps that have appeared since Hrina-Treharn was placed on paid administrative leave at the end of February.
"Mr. Riley has been courageously juggling both jobs and we don't want him to have to do that anymore," Milliken Dixon said.
Hrina-Treharn was placed on leave after a parent made a complaint regarding the safety of a student, and the leave will last as long as the investigation is ongoing, Milliken Dixon said at the time.
At Thursday's meeting, Milliken Dixon said the board does not know how much longer the investigation will take.
The second motion approved at the meeting accepted the report from an independent investigator, regarding an alleged policy violation in a November 2023 staff newsletter, and allowed the board president and treasurer to carry out any actions necessary stemming from that acceptance.
Staff members from both unions representing district employees alleged Hrina-Treharn created a hostile and admonitory working environment," according to a summary of the investigation provided to the Star Beacon. In the newsletter, Hrina-Treharn said, "due to the high absences that have repeatedly occurred on our PD [professional development] days, there will be some changes made moving forward," according to the summary.
The summary states the investigation found "no support for the allegations that the November 2023 newsletter violated Board policy 3362.01."
Milliken Dixon said the investigation into the newsletter is separate for the investigation that led to Hrina-Treharn being placed on administrative leave.
