Ashland City Schools wants community input as it seeks new district superintendent

ASHLAND − The Board of Education for City Schools is seeking community involvement in choosing the next district superintendent.

Doug Marrah will retire from the post at the end of the calendar year to become the executive director of Tri-County Computer Services Association.

Steve Paramore, the district's assistant superintendent for operations and human resources, will take over as the interim superintendent on Jan. 1.

Community members have told the board they want to be part of the selection process, said board President Zack Truax.

Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center, hired by the board at its October meeting to recruit candidates, will guide the search, Truax said, and will gather information, advertise the position and ensure candidates are fully licensed and qualified as potential superintendents.

The public and staff will be engaged in order to give them a voice in the process, Truax said. Public input is being solicited through an online questionnaire implemented by the ESC.

The online survey used by ESC was "tweaked by the board," Truax said.

The questionnaire was released online on Oct. 28. By Monday, Oct. 31, Mid-Ohio ESC had already received 162 individual responses — counted as 106 from parents, 50 from teachers and 57 from community members because some respondents fit into more than one category, said ESC Superintendent Kevin Kimmel.

The district had planned to link the questionnaire in an email to parents, Kimmel said.

The questionnaire is available at moesc.net/vnews/display.v/ART/635924520b784 or by contacting Kimmel at kimmel.kevin@moesc.net.

Ashland City Schools survey asks district residents what they want in their next superintendent

The survey asks the participant to name strengths and weaknesses of the district, issues it faces, and characteristics and attributes looked for in a new superintendent.

A profile incorporating qualifications with criteria sought by the public will be compiled.

The survey will remain open until Nov. 20, after which Mid-Ohio ESC and the board will review the results. An informational brochure will be drafted, and the job will be posted on Dec. 14, Kimmel said. It will remain posted through Feb. 8.

Candidates will subsequently be identified for interviews. The board intends to hire a new superintendent in the spring, with that person's employment starting Aug. 1, 2023.

The ESC anticipates many candidates, which will be whittled down during the selection process, Truax said.

The average number of applicants received for a district the size of Ashland is about 20, Kimmel said, noting, "I think it's an attractive position."

The public will also have an opportunity for input during the interview process, Kimmel said.

This is Kimmel's fourth year with Mid-Ohio ESC and the 10th executive search he has conducted.

His ESC colleague, Ed Swartz, has conducted more than 50 executive searches.

The target recruitment area is the state of Ohio, but it could reach beyond the state, Kimmel said. Applicants will be sought from within the district and outside of the district, he said.

Paramore will put his name in the hat for the job. He said in an email he has been blessed to be a student, employee, and parent in the Ashland district and "to work alongside some of the most dedicated and passionate support staff, educators, administrators, and stakeholders here at ACS."

His "driving goal is to have the opportunity to lead this district into the future," he said in the email.

Paramore said he is dedicated to the community and the school district and would like "to be a part of the continuous rise of Ashland; most importantly Ashland City Schools."

This article originally appeared on Ashland Times Gazette: Ashland City Schools surveying residents on next superintendent