Fort hires Overla as principal

FORT RECOVERY - In a special meeting on Monday, school board members hired William Overla as the district's new high school principal.

In May, former principal Marcus Overman was named high school principal at his alma mater, New Bremen.

Overla is a 1987 graduate of Clayton Northmont High School. He earned a bachelor's degree from Bowling Green State University in 1992 and a master's degree in educational leadership from the University of Dayton in 2001.

A supervisor at Miami Valley Career Technology Center, Overla had also been an assistant and head principal at Troy City Schools for 11 years. He left that position due to family reasons. During his 26 years as an educator, he has also served as an athletic director, a career-based intervention instructor and a marketing education coordinator.

While most of his experience as an administrator comes from a comparatively larger district, Overla said he'd always wondered what it would be like to work in a school where he could know every student. He said being principal means ensuring the safety and well-being of students and preparing them for the next step in their lives.

Many small schools are in the area, but Overla said he was won over by the Fort Recovery community, which he explored after his interview. The community support he saw for the school and its athletic events was encouraging, and he felt Fort Recovery would be a good fit.

Board members also approved an overnight field trip for FFA members to Carrollton from July 9-13 and an overnight field trip for the volleyball camp to Michigan State University from July 13-14.