Board taps principal for position

FORT RECOVERY - Applause rang out from the Fort Recovery High School community room on Monday evening as school board members unanimously approved to hire high school principal Tony Stahl as district superintendent.

After leading Fort Recovery schools for nearly five years, superintendent Larry Brown will resign at the end of July. Stahl will take over on Aug. 1 and his contract will last through July 31, 2027. Brown said he was not privy to the new superintendent's pay.

"I am extremely grateful and excited for the new opportunity in my professional career," Stahl said in prepared remarks. "Mr. Brown has done a great job the last four years and I am excited to get started and work with him as I transition to the new role."

Upon stepping down as superintendent, Brown will take on the position of director from Aug. 1 to Dec. 31 to help school officials transition to a new administration.

Stahl has served as high school principal for three years and previously served as middle school principal for four years. Prior to his service at Fort Recovery, Stahl served as a social studies teacher for three years at St. Henry High School.

Brown, who has worked in education for almost 38 years, had said he is looking forward to spending more time with his family.

School board president Don Wendel in a prepared statement said board members are "thrilled" to have Stahl as superintendent.

"He has demonstrated all the qualities we are looking for in our leader," Wendel said. "We look forward to a prosperous future at Fort Recovery Local Schools with Tony Stahl as our Superintendent."

Six of 14 applicants for the job were granted interviews - Stahl, Spencerville Local Schools Superintendent Cindy Endsley, Little Miami High School Principal Cathy Trevathan, Franklin Monroe Local School District Superintendent Jeremy Pequignot and Sidney Elementary School Principal Stephanie Klingshirn.

Stahl said he was excited to start the position and said he will do his best to follow in Brown's footsteps, especially with other significant staffing changes ahead.

Earlier this month, elementary school principal Kelli Thobe was hired as the new Marion Local Elementary School principal. She had served as principal for four years.

In other business, board members accepted the donation of a new softball/baseball complex dubbed "The Battle Grounds" from the Fort Recovery Athletic Boosters.

The donation will be finalized once the project is completed on opening day Friday, where both baseball and softball teams will take on the Mississinawa Valley Blackhawks. Both games start at 5 p.m.

The new complex features top-of-the-line amenities including a new field, dugouts, batting cages and bullpens, according to the district's monthly newsletter. The outfield is lined with a fort wall and features a digital scoreboard that can display game updates in real time.

Brown and school board members thanked the athletic boosters and the Win on the Wabash committee for their support.

Board members also,

• approved a $215,000 contract with Tremco to repair and replace the elementary/middle school gym roof.

• accepted the resignation due to retirement of Pam Fullenkamp as a building aide effective at the end of the school year.

• hired Nina Wendel as a high school science teacher for the 2023-2024 school year effective Aug. 1. Wendel and board member Jake Knapke abstained from the vote to avoid a conflict of interest.

• met in executive session to discuss personnel employment. No action was anticipated after the session, Brown said.

The next regular school board meeting is 6:30 p.m. April 17 in the high school community room.