Same Faces……New Places

As the new school year begins, you will be seeing some of the same faces but you’ll just be seeing them in some new places. Recent retirements and resignations by members of the Anthony Wayne administrative team have created a number of vacancies throughout the district and many of those vacancies have been filled by our own Anthony Wayne personnel.

After spending a year working for the Lucas County Educational Service Center, Dr. Jim Fritz will once again join the staff at Anthony Wayne as the Director of Curriculum and Instruction. Although Dr. Fritz was employed by the LCESC as a School Improvement Coordinator he was assigned to service the Anthony Wayne district. According to Dr. Fritz he most looks forward to "working with the staff and the community in the Anthony Wayne Local Schools to engage students in educational opportunities empowering them to function responsibly and productively in our global society."

The departure of Jim Fritz as the school improvement consultant at LCESC creates an opening for a consultant to be assigned to Anthony Wayne. Anthony Wayne’s high school principal Jim Conner, has been selected by the LCESC as AW’s new School Improvement Consultant. Although this is a loss to the high school the good news is Mr. Conner will continue to serve the Anthony Wayne Schools as an administrator in the central administration office. He will complete his duties as high school principal on July 31st and begin his new job on Monday, August 4th.

With the resignation of Jim Conner, the board has named Jeri Hoellrich as the new high school principal. Mrs. Hoellrich served the past three years as the assistant principal at the high school. “I am very happy and excited with my new position and the opportunity to work with such a committed staff, collaborative group of parents, and talented young individuals.” Said Mrs. Hoellrich, “I am looking forward to getting the 08/09 school year started and spending time with the students hearing about their summer experiences and goals for the up and coming new year.”

Steve Varga has been selected as an assistant principal at the high school. Mr. Varga has served as a teacher at the junior high school for the past seven years. "It is exciting to know I will be working with many of the same students I have known over my seven years here. At the same time, I am looking forward to meeting all of the students, parents, faculty, and staff at the high school that I have not had a chance to meet."

Also joining the high school administrative team will be Jeff Schwerer. Mr. Schwerer has been the principal at the junior high school since 1995. He is looking forward to the challenges of his new position. According to Mr. Schwerer, “The district has an excellent group of coaches and athletes and I am excited about continuing to move the athletic department and programs forward. I am looking forward to the new challenges that lie ahead.”

Stepping up to lead the junior high school will be the current assistant principal Kevin Pfefferle. Mr. Pfefferle joined the staff at AW in 2002 as a science teacher and was named assistant principal at the junior high in 2004. “I am very excited about the upcoming school year and all the new changes that it will have to offer.” said Mr. Pfefferle, “I am anxious to work with our new 7th and 8th grade students and the energy that they will bring to the Junior High next year.”

Mr. Gary Haas will be moving from his current assignment at FTMS to assume the assistant principal’s position at the junior high vacated by Mr. Pfefferle. According to Mr. Haas, "I am eagerly anticipating the challenges and rewards associated with my new position. I look forward to working with Mr. Pfefferle and the Junior High staff to make Anthony Wayne Junior High a successful place for students."

Superintendent John Granger said, “I am very pleased to be able to promote these people within the school system. We have confidence that they will all be successful in their new positions.”

District officials are currently interviewing for a new transportation director, created by the resignation of Larry Lerch as well as a new head boys’ basketball coach resulting from the resignation of Scott Riley. District officials are also in the process of replacing an assistant principal at the high school. That particular position was left vacant all of last year after Dr. Fritz accepted employment with the LCESC.

The movement of key administrators, the reassignment of tutors to the classrooms, as well as a number of teacher resignations and retirements have left many unfilled vacancies. According to Dr. Granger, “The district will be waiting on the August 5th levy results to see what other positions can be filled.”