Article published Wednesday, June 10, 2009 Mason Middle School principal: He came, he saw, he liked it, so he's staying By MARK REITER BLADE STAFF WRITER
ERIE - John Fernbaugh took over as principal of Mason Middle School in March with intentions of leaving at the end of his contract in June.
However, as he got acquainted with students, teachers, and staff, Mr. Fernbaugh liked what he saw.
"I had no intentions of doing this permanently. I came here to be the interim principal," said Mr. Fernbaugh, a retired superintendent with more than 30 years of administrative experience in Ohio schools.
Instead of leaving, he decided to throw his name in the hat for the job permanently. Last week, the Mason Consolidated board of education signed him to a three-year contract.
"There are some very neat things that are happening here in our building academically. We have good students and teachers. It is a fun place to be," Mr. Fernbaugh said. "I feel very good about this opportunity."
Board member Mike Ginther, who is the panel's liaison to the building, said he has been impressed with Mr. Fernbaugh's handling of the school and his relationship with teachers and staff at the 300-pupil school of sixth, seventh, and eighth-graders.
"I think he can do some good things," Mr. Ginther said. "He has a lot of different levels of experience in many aspects of education."
Superintendent David Drewyor agreed: "He is the best person for the job. He has done a really good job. He has won everybody over, the teachers, students, and staff, since coming here. They respect what he as been doing."
Mr. Fernbaugh said he plans to use exciting and innovative ideas from teachers and staff to improve education for students.
"It is important to help the kids grow and accept responsibility for the things they do," he said. "I also want to stress parent involvement in the school and I would like to see the involvement in the PTA. They need to be in our school. They need to see what we are doing."
Mr. Fernbaugh, 66, a native of Toledo who graduated from Waite High School, will be paid $85,500. Because he is retired, the district will not provide health insurance for him, saving valuable dollars for the school system.
Mr. Drewyor said he was among 25 applicants for the position. He and assistant principal in the district were finalist.
"It was a tough choice for the board," he said. "Either candidate would have done a good job."
A Bowling Green State University graduate, Mr. Fernbaugh began his teaching and coaching career in 1965 at Delta High School. He taught and coached at Bowsher and DeVilbiss high schools in Toledo from 1967 to 1976, and continued teaching and coaching in the Montpelier schools in Williams County in 1976, and later became high school principal there.
He was hired as assistant superintendent at Wauseon Schools in 1984 and served as superintendent of Elgin Local Schools from 1991 to 1995 and McComb Schools from 1995 to 1998, when he was hired to lead the Ohio Association of School Business Officials. He left the organization in 2005. Permanent Link
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