Kari Toops, who was a math coach supervisor with Huber Heights City Schools, was hired for the job Friday and started Monday. She has been working with Timpone this week to ease the transition.
Toops, 33, is a former math and language arts teacher who worked at Huber Heights for 11 years.
She said she hated to leave her former district, which has been like a family, but is thrilled by the opportunities at Orchard Park.
“It is a smaller school and has had the consistency of having a principal over a long amount of time,” said Toops, a resident of South Charleston and mother of two sons.
Kyle Ramey, Kettering’s director of instructional services, said Toops’ math, language arts and technology background helped her stand out among the more than 120 applicants.
“She is comfortable with all of those pieces,” Ramey said. “She will be able to push Orchard Park and our district forward academically.”
Toops said she hopes to find where kids are in most need of help, and address those needs.
“I’m heavy into data analysis and data-driven decision making,” Toops said. “I hope to hone in on data that will help kids succeed.”
As for Timpone, he is officially retiring from Kettering, but has taken another principal position at Saint Anthony School in Dayton.
Saint Anthony has an enrollment just shy of 200, while Orchard Park has between 300 and 350 students.
The former principal at Saint Anthony, David Bogle, has moved to St. Charles Borromeo School in Kettering.
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