Rossford moves to hire interim superintendent

6/15/2007

An interim superintendent is expected to soon start leading the Rossford school district while school board members continue working on finding a permanent replacement.

At a special meeting yesterday afternoon, board members voted to offer the superintendent's job to John Fernbaugh, a retired superintendent of McComb, Ohio, schools who most recently worked for the Ohio Association of School Business Officials.

He will work up to three days a week and could be paid up to $442 a day, but his salary has yet to be negotiated and he has yet to accept the position, board President David Kleeberger said.

If he accepts the board's terms, members want him to start as soon as possible - preferably on Monday.

Meanwhile, the school board is continuing to work with the Lucas County Educational Service Center to help it find a permanent replacement for Superintendent Luci Gernot, who left the district to take a position as assistant superintendent of the Wood County Educational Service Center.

Board Vice President Brian Hughes yesterday updated the board on the district's tentative time line for the search.

Candidates will have until July 20 to submit their resume, and the educational service center will paper-screen the applicants until the end of July before recommending four to six for the board to interview.

Preliminary interviews should take place at the beginning of August and the second round of interviews with the top several candidates should follow around the second week of August.

If the district sticks with the tentative time line, a new superintendent should be named by Sept. 1.

In other business, Mr. Kleeberger told the board that the district received four applications from residents who want to be considered for a vacant board member slot.

Board members plan to interview the candidates at their regular meeting at 7 p.m. Monday at Rossford High School, 701 Superior St.

There's a vacant seat because former board President Mike McAlear resigned last month because of personal and business commitments.