Monroe Schools to hire Lebanon interim superintendent for leader
Apr. 22—Monroe Schools will soon have a new leader courtesy of Lebanon Schools.
The Journal-News learned Wednesday Robert Buskirk, current interim superintendent for Lebanon, will soon be officially hired as Monroe's next top official.
Buskirk is the finalist for the job, which had more than two dozen applicants from around Ohio vying to lead the 3,000-student Monroe school system.
"The district has a great reputation and the community there has a lot of pride in their schools," said Buskirk.
The Lebanon Schools' veteran of nearly two decades will start in his first, permanent superintendent's job on Aug. 1, if as anticipated, the Monroe school board votes to hire him during its Monday meeting.
Current Monroe Superintendent Kathy Demers, who has led the district since 2018, recently told Monroe's governing school board she will resign at the end of this school year. She will join the Buckeye Association of School Administrators as director of member development.
The district, which has two schools — a pre-kindergarten through second grade primary school and a 3-12 school — has seen steady enrollment growth in recent years.
It's one of Ohio's newer school systems, having split off from Middletown Schools in 2000 after winning state approval to start a local school system.
The 47-year-old Buskirk, a former school principal who was director of human resources prior to being appointed Lebanon's interim superintendent earlier this school year, points to Monroe's history of seeking an independent school system as a point of attraction for him.
"A community that has that much pride ... that they formed their own district and fought for that for a number of years is an attractive place to be," said the former Lakota and Sycamore school educator.
Monroe Board of Education President David Grant said Buskirk is good fit to lead the district.
"Robert was chosen from an incredible field of candidates from throughout the state of Ohio and it was his passion, wide array of experience and his great communication skills that made him stand above the other candidates," said Grant.
Among Buskirk's top, early priorities will include guiding the district to replacing the aging Monroe Primary school building with the help of state funding.
His experiences with helping Lebanon build new schools, renovate and expand older buildings and modernize learning facilities will prove useful in that task, he said.
