The New Albany-Plain Local school board Aug. 27 approved an agreement with the Educational Service Center of Central Ohio to help the district search for a new treasurer.

The district is an ESC member and will not have to pay for the search itself.

However, it will have to pay for any marketing materials related to the search and it would have to pay for the service center to work with the district after a treasurer is hired to help in the transition, said board member Mark Ryan.

Longtime treasurer Brian Ramsay resigned from New-Albany Plain Local Schools in July to become treasurer of the Westfall Local Schools. The district hired Margaret Betts on contract through the center to serve as interim treasurer.

New Albany-Plain Local, like other Ohio districts with a student population of less than 16,000, is required by Ohio law to work with an educational service center. A portion of the district's state funding is allocated to a regional center to pay for expenses and services, said John Charlton, spokesman for the Ohio Department of Education.

Alan Hutchinson, ESC treasurer, said the state requires the center to collect $6.50 per pupil from the districts that have fewer than 16,000 students. New Albany has 4,500 students, which means it is assessed $29,250.

Hutchinson said the Ohio Department of Education's latest report shows New Albany is contributing $103,135.71 in state funds to the service center during fiscal year 2012.

Districts also are eligible to use the center's staff for special-education programming, gifted services, early childhood development, curriculum development and other services based on the number of teachers in the district.

Hutchinson said New Albany has 160.75 teachers and is eligible to use 2.11 ESC personnel. The remainder of New Albany's state funds contributed to the center -- $73,885.71 -- pays the salaries of center personnel who work in New Albany.