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Northeastern Local Board of Education will interview eight superintendent candidates this week who are vying to replace Lou Kramer.
The interviews will be held in executive session between 5-10 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday.
Denise Robinson, district treasurer, said board members are looking for someone like Kramer who would be a leader for the community.
“They’re working at trying to find the right candidate, the right fit for our district. They’re determined to find someone that would fit with the community,” Robinson said.
The eight candidates are:
• Kirk Koennecke, principal of Marin Harding High School
• Ted Williams, interim principal of Cedarville Elementary School and former South Vienna Middle School principal
• John Kronour, superintendent of Tipp City Exempted Village School in Miami County
• Vicki Brunn, superintendent of Central Local Schools District in Defiance County
• Chad Hill, principal of Butler High School in the Vandalia-Butler City School District in Montgomery County
• William Butler, principal of Monroeville Elementary School in Huron County
• Jesse Steiner, superintendent of the Lima City Schools
• Cara Riddel, superintendent of the Westfall Local School District in Pickaway County
Brunn, Steiner and Riddel are also among the four finalists for the Northwestern Local School District superintendent job.
After the interviews this week, the board is expected to select the finalists for the position.
A review committee of 20 parents, certified teachers, classified employees and community members are then expected to interview the finalists June 15 at Northeastern High School. Each finalist will be asked a set of questions provided to officials by K-12 Business Consulting.
Officials could select the new superintendent the same day.
Kramer, was hired as Northeastern superintendent in 2011, has been hired to lead the London City Schools. The London Board of Education selected Kramer as its new superintendent in March. He will replace retiring Superintendent Tom Ben Aug. 1.
The district passed an income tax levy last month, the first new operating money approved by voters since 2004. The 1-percent, 10-year earned income tax will generate $4.1 million annually. It will cost a person making $40,000 annually about $400 per year.
With the levy’s passage, the district will avoid a projected $5 million deficit in 2018 and $11 million in 2019. Northeastern is the county’s second-largest school district with 3,600 students, five campuses and seven schools.
The district has cut a total of more than $2 million from its annual budget since 2012. Several other cost-cutting measures have been implemented, including increasing student fees, adopting pay-to-play sports and activities fees, and limiting field trips and professional development spending.
The district also eliminated high school busing in 2013. However, the school board is expected to soon discuss reinstating high school busing.
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