Rossford school board hires Dan Creps as superintendent

Dan Creps has been named Rossford City Schools' new superintendent.

The Rossford Board of Education Monday hired Dan Creps as the district’s superintendent, after announcing last week that he was the intended choice.

The vote was 5-0. Mr. Creps starts April 1, with a 28-month contract that includes an annual salary of $115,000. He replaces Interim Superintendent Bill McFarland, who was hired in September, 2011, after Susan Lang quit to be superintendent in a school district near Cincinnati.

“I can’t tell you how proud I am to be serving as Rossford’s superintendent. ... I’m ready to lead this district, and I’m ready to serve the students, staff, and people of this community," he told the board.

For Mr. Creps, 47, the new job is a homecoming of sorts. He grew up in Rossford and attended Eagle Point Elementary and the junior high. He graduated from the high school in 1984.

His wife, Kris, nee Gwozdz, also is from Rossford. They both grew up on Jennings Road, met as high school freshmen, and became sweethearts. They have been married for 23 years. They have four children — Madison, 16, Collin, 12, Griffin, 10, and Rowan, 9 — and live in Perrysburg Township.

“It’s very exciting, and the timing just worked out really well,” Mr. Creps said before the vote.

Mr. Creps comes to the district from Perrysburg schools, where he became principal of Woodland Elementary in 2007. Before that he worked in the Sylvania district, where he was principal of Sylvan Elementary, assistant principal at Arbor Hills Junior High, and a teacher in sixth-grade English and reading at Timberstone Junior High and Whiteford Elementary.

The other finalist was Deb Piotrowski, superintendent of Xenia Community Schools east of Dayton. School Board President Dawn Burks said Mr. Creps’ strong connection to Rossford was what tipped the selection his way.

“Rossford is a community that is very tight-knit,” she said. “We thought picking him would be a win-win for him and the community. I think he will be able to lead.”

Rossford school officials have a lot to contend with. They are looking for the best way to upgrade the district’s aged buildings and will shutter Indian Hills Elementary at the end of the 2013-14 academic year as part of a grade reconfiguration, a process known in the district as “grade clustering.”

Mr. Creps said he’ll spend a transitional period with Mr. McFarland, who had an announcement of his own at the board meeting: He’ll be taking over Mr. Creps’ job at Woodland for the rest of the school year.

Mr. Creps said he plans to meet as many in the Rossford community as possible as he adapts to his job.

“I’m not at the point yet where I can share ideas and programs. I want to get comfortable with the community and talk to people and move forward from there. We’re going to accomplish a lot of great things over time,” he said.