Bethel schools pick interim superintendent

The Bethel Local Schools Board of Education voted Monday to hire Matthew Chrispin as the district’s interim superintendent. Chrispin will take over the job from Superintendent Justin Firks, who resigned in late May, effective July 31.

Chrispin previously served as superintendent for the Bucyrus City Schools and the Fredericktown Local Schools in north central Ohio.

The board of education said it is working with K-12 Business Consulting to conduct a comprehensive search for a new superintendent for the 2023-2024 school year. Work on the search will begin in September. That search will include public and staff input on a search profile and candidate recruitment through K-12 consultants.

Firks’ resignation after three years as superintendent came as the Bethel schools community in recent months debated transgender student access to restrooms.

Firks has since been hired as the new principal at Elida High School near Lima.

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