Across Marion County’s five public school districts, all schools in Ridgedale, Pleasant and Marion City have had leadership changes this year.
The countywide education leadership change began in November 2021 when former Ridgedale Superintendent Robert Britton announced his intention to resign from his position with the school district effective at the end of the school year.
After conducting a search for a supervisor, the Ridgedale Board of Directors elected Dr. Erica Bauer as its new supervisor in February.
Prior to taking on this role, she said she was tapping into an existing tradition of community pride and helping it grow further.
“I have actually researched how culture, school culture, and leadership affect school culture. It’s something we see over the years: pride, academics, community involvement, and I saw a desire for transparency.
Just a month later, former Pleasant Superintendent Jennifer Adams announced her resignation, explaining that with the opening of the new 5th through 12th grade buildings this fall, it was only natural that the district would change leadership. did.
Britton was one of the finalists for the position, but the Pleasant Board ultimately chose Tom McDonnell to lead this year’s school district in June. McDonnell saw the new school open its doors alongside Adams, who left time for training and transition.
Marion City School District, on the other hand, saw an exodus of many top-level administrators.
Former Superintendent Dr. Ron Iarussi announced his resignation at the end of May, just two weeks after former Assistant Superintendent Jennifer Lawson resigned.
Iarussi currently works as interim superintendent of schools in Willoughby-Eastlake, Lake County, Ohio. Lawson accepted a position as an education specialist for the consulting firm Focus 3.
Both Britton and Adams, both from Crawford County, currently work at Bucyrus Municipal Schools in Crawford County, where Britton serves as Interim Superintendent and Adams serves as Curriculum Director. The two previously served as principals at Elgin Local School in Marion.
As she wrapped up her time at Pleasant and was preparing to join the team at Bucyrus, Britton said her expertise would help her achieve one of his main goals: focusing on the course curriculum. I said I was looking forward to working with her again.
“We worked together in the Elgin Regional School District when she was an elementary school principal and I was a high school principal, so it’s going to be interesting. There’s some practical knowledge there,” Britton said. Told.
“I think she is very familiar with the curriculum she comes into and is very knowledgeable. I have.”
Marion Municipal School’s Journey Continues
This summer, the Marion City Schools Board of Directors elected Olympia della Flora as the new Assistant Superintendent and Steve Mazzi, through the Central Ohio Center for Education Services, as the Interim Superintendent of Marion City Schools.
The interim superintendent and assistant superintendent, who came into the district amid allegations that there was a “discipline crisis” across schools in the city of Marion, said in an “implementation review” that has continued to be reviewed at school board meetings. I immediately set to work evaluating the claims.
While we make changes to the #changethenarrative district and adopt a new mantra, Mazzi is still in the district on an interim basis.
The district hired K-12 Business Consulting, Inc. to conduct a superintendent’s search for the next permanent leader for the City of Marion.
According to the current K-12 schedule, the new Marion City School Superintendent will take office on August 1, 2023. Mazzi’s contract was officially extended until July 31, 2023, at a board meeting in November.
Throughout all of this year’s transitions, Board Chair Kelly McKay said she looks forward to the process and support from the K-12.
“I’m sure we’ll find someone who loves our district and is passionate about education. It’s hard to be superintendent, especially in this kind of environment,” Mackay said.
“We went through COVID, we went through the building issues. For me, leaders build. We want to have a kind of safe program for our children.”