BELMONT — Janet Hissrich is closing out her career as treasurer for the Union Local School District with her retirement next year.

She began working at Union Local in 1984.

“I am starting my 21st year at Union Local. There was a break in between, but the first 10 years of my career were here, and I’ve been back for 10 years. I came back in 2012.”

In between, she worked for school districts at Barnesville, St. Clairsville, Switzerland of Ohio, as well as the Ohio Department of Taxation, but would return to this area.

“The payroll job had come open at Union Local and it happened to be right when I was graduating from college (with a degree in business administration), and so I was hired as an assistant treasurer,” she said.

A year later, she was offered the treasurer’s position after the prior treasurer went to another job.

Hissrich added that, as an alumnus, Union Local would remain a place of value.

“I graduated here, as did my husband and my children. We’re Union Local people,” she said. “This is home, and there’s nothing better than to be able to serve your home district, and I am very appreciative to have had that opportunity, not just once in my career but both at the beginning and at the end.”

The district received recognition during Hissrich’s time helming finances.

“My staff and I have worked together. We’ve had eight perfect audits in a row,” she said.

The district was also recognized by the Ohio House of Representatives in 2016 for its third year in a row of perfect audits.

“I have to stress, these have my name on it but it’s not my accomplishment, it’s the entire staff. I couldn’t do it without the support of the administration, especially (Superintendent Ben) Porter. We just couldn’t do this without everybody working together,” she said.

“My style is that everyone plays a very important part,” she said. “I try to support my staff members and let them know that I’m always there to support them and help them and to work with them, but we all have to work together. We have a mutual respect where we can do that. We all work together, we support each other, and things have been very successful.”

The job has had its share of challenges, beginning with the decline of the coal industry in the 1980s and issues with state funding after the DeRolph v. State of Ohio case in 1991, which found the state’s method of using property taxes to fund school districts was unconstitutional.

“Changing the formulas, just change in state support over the years has been a real challenge,” she said. “The balance between state and local funding for schools has been very challenging.”

More recently the COVID-19 pandemic has posed expenses and renovations.

Hissrich also noted support for the school system in the community.

“We have a great population here at Union Local. The people at Union Local really care about each other. It’s more of a family atmosphere and that’s very, very important,” she said. “The people of Union Local always come together to help. To me, it’s just a fabulous place to work, it’s a fabulous place to live and I’m very grateful for the opportunity.”

Hissrich said applications for a new treasurer are due July 15.

“Interviews are scheduled to begin the first week of August,” she said, adding the job calls for all the financial and business skills demanded of a multimillion-dollar business, as well as school law and school finance. “Somebody who comes into this position or any other position needs to have a keen awareness of the community and what the community stands for, what the community offers. That’s very important because you have to know the culture and the area. Not many people have done these jobs, you’re going to learn as you go. You don’t need to come in knowing everything.”

She will remain on the job until July 31, 2023, and train the incoming treasurer and allow them to gain experience if necessary before moving fully into the position.

“It’s going to be business as usual, just continue to fulfill the duties. The purpose of advertising early is to make a smooth transition.”

On the state of finances, Hissrich said the district will exercise care with the expenditures due to uncertain economic times.

“We are seeing the effects of the pandemic on gas and oil production. When we talk about the taxes that we receive from the gas and oil production, our taxes come two years after the actual production, so in 2022 we’re seeing the effects of the slow down due to the pandemic in 2020, and also some of 2021 we anticipate coming into 2023, so we have some hurdles there,” she said. “Also due to the pandemic we’ve seen increases in our insurance costs. … The state is gradually implementing a new funding formula so there’s always uncertainty there. … We have a solid administration and a solid board that we can work through.”

Hissrich is a Morristown area resident. She looks forward to traveling and spending more time with family, as well as community involvement and possibly continuing her hobbies, such as sewing.

“It’ll be 39 years when I finish,” Hissrich said. “I’m excited for the next chapter.”

“I can’t say enough good things about Janet Hissrich and what she had done and what she continues to do for Union Local District,” Porter said. “For me in particular she has been a person I can confide in and that supports me tremendously, and I certainly will miss her presence in the future.”