Springfield schools set to hire new treasurer

The Springfield City School Board will vote on whether to name Nicole Cottrell the district s treasurer Thursday night. JEFF GUERINI/STAFF

The Springfield City School Board will vote on whether to name Nicole Cottrell the district s treasurer Thursday night. JEFF GUERINI/STAFF

The Springfield City School Board of Education will vote today on hiring the district’s new treasurer.

The agenda for Thursday’s 6 p.m. regular school board meeting includes a vote on Nicole Cottrell, who’s worked in the treasurer’s office for the past five years, as the new treasurer. The Springfield City Schools treasurer manages a payroll for more than 1,000 employees and a $96 million annual budget.

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“I am thankful for the opportunity to continue serving the Springfield community and excited to be the treasurer in a school district striving to ensure every student is college or career ready and on the path to achieving personal success,” she said.

Her goal is to keep the district fiscally responsible while finding innovative ways to best educate students, she said.

The school board began an internal search after current Treasurer Dale Miller announced he planned to retire on March 1 and take a job at Northeastern Local Schools, school board President Ed Leventhal said.

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“She is highly qualified and with Dale leaving relatively quickly and the fact there have been a number of other treasurer searches in Clark County, we felt confident she was the best candidate,” Leventhal said.

Miller was the third Clark County school treasurer to leave his position in a three-month span. Miller made more than $119,000 annually as treasurer at Springfield. Cottrell’s salary hasn’t been set yet, she said. Her start date is March 1 and her contract will be for three years, according to the agenda.

By hiring her, Leventhal said the district saves time and money that would have been spent looking for an outside candidate.

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“She knows our financial situation and our process,” Leventhal said.

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