AUSTINTOWN TWP., Ohio - A former State Trooper will be in charge of making sure that students are transported to and from Austintown Schools safely and on time.

Retired Ohio Highway Patrol Assistant Post Commander John Lenkey has been named as the Austintown Local School District's Transportation Director.

He replaces Colleen Murphy-Penk who took a similar job with the Youngstown City Schools.

Lenkey was recently the transportation supervisor and safety coordinator for Better Corporation Management of Ohio and previously the safety coordinator at Clearcreek Trucking, according to a news release from the school district.

He takes the job as Austintown faces challenges in hiring enough drivers to drive the daily routes.

As of last month, the district had 47 full-time drivers and six, part-time substitute drivers.

Superintendent Vince Colaluca put out a call to hire as many as ten more substitutes.

The district has offered to cover the cost of obtaining Commercial Driver's Licenses for newly hired drivers.

Lenkey officially begins his duties on Monday.