NEWTON FALLS — The Newton Falls Board of Education on Wednesday approved a contract extension and pay increase for the district treasurer, but it did not approve one for the school superintendent.

The board voted 3-1 to approve the new five-year agreement for Treasurer Ben Marko, which will increase his pay from the current $88,434 to $115,000, effective August 2025 to July 2030.

Board members Amie Crowder, Teresa Oakes and Dan Williams voted for the new contract while board member Tonya Kline voted against. Board member Mark Stimpert was absent from the meeting.

The board voted 2-2 on a new contract extension for Superintendent Andreas Johansson but because of the tie vote, it did not pass.

Voting for the contract were Crowder and Williams, while Kline and Oakes voted against.

Originally, Oakes made a motion to table the two motions for contract extensions for both the superintendent and treasurer for further review, but the motion failed for a lack of second.

Oakes said she is in her sixth year as a board member and has seen the district hire four different superintendents and five different treasurers in that time period.

“We need stability with the leadership for our schools. There has been a lot of changing of the guards. Ben and Andreas have shown they work well together,” she said.

Oakes said that since Marko has been with the district since 2023, he has helped the district make good investments, which has brought in more than a half million dollars to the schools.

She said Marko has helped the district secure $513,316 in less than two years with his good investing and watching district spending, while noting a former treasurer only secured $18,071 while with the district. She said it is important the board do what it can to keep Marko.

“His raise is well deserved for what he has done. He has proven his worth. We can’t afford to lose him. We need stability,” Oakes said, noting she was concerned another school district would hire him.

Oakes said the district has seen improvements in the state report card, praising the administration, staff and students.

Kline said she has heard from taxpayers concerned about pay increases for administrators while the district is trying to get a 3.3-mill emergency renewal levy passed in November.

“As a board member I am here to do the will of the people. That is my job. Being on the board is not a party. When we make decisions we are dealing with people’s lives,” Kline said, noting she has had many sleepless nights.

Williams said Johansson and Marko have shown they can work together and both have much energy for the betterment of the school district.

Johansson said he and Marko worked this year on the new contracts for the teaching and nonteaching staff, granting them pay increases over the three-year agreements that were approved by the board.

The teachers’ contract included a 4% salary increase this school year, followed by 3% in 2026 and another 3% in 2027.

The classified union’s contract included a 50 cent per hour wage increase in the first year on the base, followed by 65 cent increases in both the second and third years. Classified employees will continue to contribute 10% toward their health insurance premium. He said he and Marko agreed to contribute 15% toward their health insurance coverage.

Marko has said the district employees have agreed to contribute more to their health and medical insurance. He said employees were paying 10% to the insurance and the school district covers 90%.

Marko said that will increase to employees contributing 12.5% the first year of the contract, 13% in the second year and 14% in the third year.