“As the leader of one of the highest performing school districts in the state, we are thrilled to have his academic expertise to align with our art magnets at Stivers School for the Arts,” said DPS Superintendent David Lawrence. “After a national search, we’ve been lucky to find a local administrator in tune with Stivers’ rich history of arts success, with his own child having attended.”
Waller confirmed he got the job when asked by this news outlet.
“It’s very exciting,” he said, but declined to answer further questions.
Waller was ordered to take paid administrative leave from Oakwood in January 2024 after a male student was caught in a girls’ locker room stealing clothes, including undergarments, district records show. Questions were raised about what discipline the student received.
Waller was principal at Oakwood beginning in the 2009-2010 school year.
He was given pay and benefits through January of 2025, according to records obtained by the Dayton Daily News.
The separation agreement obtained through a public records request indicates “the parties agree to maintain the confidentiality of any investigative report by or for the district, as well as circumstances surrounding Waller’s separation from employment, subject to the requirements in Ohio’s Public Records Act.”
Waller did not submit a letter of resignation, according to the district.
The separation agreement states Waller’s contract, which started Aug. 1, 2022, and was set to end July 31, 2026, “will no longer be in effect as of the date of the execution of this agreement.”
Waller’s salary as of Aug. 1, 2023 was $156,093, plus a $10,810 annuity, according to Oakwood’s school district records.
Oakwood High School’s current principal is Matthew Salyer, who previously was a principal at Van Buren Middle School in Kettering and a gym and health teacher at Oakwood Junior/Senior High.
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