Ryan Scott Ottney

PDT Staff Writer

The Minford School Board voted during a special meeting Monday evening to hire high school principal Barbara Dever as their assistant superintendent, with plans to transition Dever to superintendent at the completion of the current superintendent’s contract in December. The move creates an opening for high school principal while the district is already searching for an elementary principal.

Current Minford Superintendent Mark Wilcheck announced in February that he and the school board have mutually agreed to part ways at the end of his contract in December. Previously at Cardington Local Schools, north of Columbus, Wilcheck was hired by the Minford School Board in November 2008 to replace retiring Superintendent Dennis Meade. His first day with the district was in January 2009. After a series of special school board meetings in February, Wilcheck and the board announced that they will not renew his contract when it expires on Dec. 31, 2013.

In May, the school board asked the South Central Ohio Educational Services Center (SCOESC) to assist them in their search for a new superintendent. SCOESC Superintendent Lowell Howard explained that summer is always a good time to search for new administration because contracts typically expire at the end of the school year. By searching for candidates now rather than later, he said, the school will have a better chance of finding a superintendent.

The deadline to apply was May 13, and Howard said the SCOESC received 11 applications. Those were presented to the Minford School Board on Tuesday, and the board selected three to interview for superintendent. Selected was Jonathan G. Kudhnle, Central Office Administrator with the Circleville City Schools; Kathy Hoop, Elementary School Principal with the Hillsboro City Schools; and Dennis Evans, Elementary School Principal with the Minford Local Schools.

Those candidates were interviewed by the school board on June 6, but the board announced last month that none will be hired at that time. Howard said the school board decided to look at internal candidates for the job, and voted Monday evening to hire Dever as an assistant superintendent. Dever will work alongside Wilcheck until his contract expires in December — or sooner, if he accepts another job and leaves the district before then — at which time she will take over as superintendent.

Dever’s transition to assistant superintendent leaves a new opening for high school principal. The board is also is still searching for an elementary principal, after principal Dennis Evans was moved to the middle school to replace Kevin Lloyd as middle school principal. Lloyd left the district last month to accept a job as high school principal at Valley High School.

Also during the special meeting on Monday, the school board hired Michelle King as intervention specialist for grades 4-5.