Several local superintendents said longevity at the top usually is a good thing, stabilizing relationships among the school board, central office, principals, teachers, and students.
“I think it creates a sense of trust,” said Tom Henderson, who is starting his seventh year as Centerville’s superintendent. “Hopefully it creates a positive situation for the staff to work and teach in, and I believe that trickles down to the students and creates a great learning environment.”
The Buckeye Association of School Administrators tracks superintendent movement. David Axner, deputy executive director of BASA, said about 20 percent of Ohio’s 600-plus school districts have new superintendents this fall, and for half of those new hires it’s their first time as a superintendent anywhere.
“It is a unique year,” Axner said. “That’s a high number and it presents some opportunities, but it also presents some challenges.”
There are pockets just outside of Dayton with more turnover — five new superintendents in Clark County and three in Butler County. Axner said BASA anticipated high turnover this year for a variety of reasons — changes to the retirement system that incentivized some to leave, plus budget challenges and changing state mandates on issues like testing.
“The superintendent job is just getting harder and harder,” he said.
Keith St. Pierre is the longest-tenured superintendent in the area, having guided Sugarcreek schools (Bellbrook) since 1994. He said some superintendents leave because the relationship with the school board, staff or community is not what they expected. Others may want to rise to a larger district, and some may be “encouraged” to move on by the school board.
“I see (five years) as almost a minimum to provide consistency of leadership, to set up long-term planning, to develop relationships with the community, the school board, staff, kids, parents, booster groups. It’s a team effort,” St. Pierre said.
Scott Inskeep is one of the newest superintendents in the area, having come to Kettering schools one year ago. But he’s not new to the game after spending 12 years as superintendent at the Reading district near Cincinnati.
“I think a superintendent has to assess the community and its values,” Inskeep said. “Turnover trickles down (badly) if you come in and attempt to make monumental change that’s not supported by the community and staff.”
National research shows that in large school districts, superintendents tend to stay for roughly three years, while in all districts, the average is closer to seven years.
The average longevity of the 46 superintendents in the greater Dayton area is between those two numbers, at just over five years, while the median is in the middle of fourth year. That’s because long-timers like St. Pierre (1994), West Carrollton’s Rusty Clifford (1999) and Brookville’s Tim Hopkins (2000) are offset by the 23 superintendents who started their current roles between 2011 and 2014.
Henderson said the Montgomery County superintendents have become a tight group, in part due to monthly group meetings, and he credited Frank DePalma, leader of the county’s Educational Service Center, for that cohesiveness.
“All of us feel very comfortable giving each other a call to share ideas or ask questions about how to handle (different situations),” Henderson said. “Sometimes it’s healthy and beneficial to know that I can pick up the phone and call Rusty Clifford or Scott (Inskeep), or (Oakwood’s) Kyle Ramey or Dave Vail at Miamisburg.”
Asked what advice he’d give to a first-year superintendent after 22 years on the job, St. Pierre kept it simple.
“Keep the focus on the kids — that’s why we’re here,” St. Pierre said. “Listen. Don’t be so quick to make a change until you understand your community and the needs of those kids. And don’t be afraid to ask others who have experience for their advice.”
Staff writer Katie Wedell contributed to this story.
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