Pike-Delta-York: 3 finalists named for superintendent post

5/25/2005

DELTA - A former Pike-Delta-York Local Schools administrator and board member was named one of the three finalists for the PDY superintendent post.

Robin Rayfield, of Delta, who is the superintendent of Swanton Local Schools, was among nearly 20 candidates who applied for the job. Following first-round interviews last week by a committee, with the PDY board observing, Mr. Rayfield and two other candidates were selected for continuing interviews, according to John Kaylor, deputy superintendent of the Northwest Ohio Educational Service Center, which is assisting PDY school officials in the superintendent search process.

The other finalists are:

w●J. Richard Gieringer, superintendent of Stryker Local School District;

w●Rodney Jenkins, principal of Battery Creek High School in Beaufort, S.C.

Special PDY board of education meetings were slated earlier this week to allow the board to further consider the candidates.

After interviews this week, the board might want to conduct reference checks and conduct visits in the candidates' school districts before making a decision on the new superintendent, Mr. Kaylor said. It is possible that the PDY board could name a superintendent during its regular meeting June 14.

In August Mr. Rayfield signed a two-year employment contract with the Swanton board. He is a former PDY high school principal. He resigned from the PDY school board last fall to devote his time and energy to his Swanton duties.

PDY Superintendent Russ Griggs is leaving the district when his one-year contract expires July 31. Mr. Griggs, who retired as superintendent of Evergreen Local schools before becoming superintendent here, initially had a two-year contract with the PDY district. When he agreed in December, 2003, to stay for another year, he indicated he would leave at the end of the contract.