Norton names new superintendent
By Kathleen Folkerth
NORTON — An Orrville City Schools administrator has been named Norton Local Schools’ new superintendent.
Norton school officials said David Dunn, 54, the director of student services for Orrville schools, was offered the position of superintendent last week. The Norton district is working on its contract with Dunn, and he is expected to be officially hired at the April 16 Board of Education meeting, said Stephanie Hagenbush, treasurer of the district.
Dunn said he is excited about the opportunity to lead Norton’s schools.
“It’s a school district that has done very well academically and has a strong history,” Dunn said. “It’s the type of district I’ll feel comfortable in. I can come in and play a role both in the district and the community.”
Dunn is currently a resident
of Orrville but said he plans to move to Norton. Hagenbush
said Dunn’s contract
will begin Aug. 1, the date that current Superintendent
Karen Wilson will officially retire.
Dunn said he plans to spend a
lot of time in Norton before he officially begins his
duties.
“I want to establish relationships
and build trust with the community,” he said.
Dunn, a native of the Mansfield
area, said he received his bachelor’s degree from
Bowling Green State University and his master’s
degree from Ashland University. He began his career
in education as a special education teacher and coach
in the Plymouth-Shiloh Local Schools District. He also
worked for the Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center as
a consultant before going to work in Orrville seven
years ago. While in Orrville, he worked for one year
as a principal while the district changed the organizational
structure of its primary schools.
Hagenbush, who served as a liaison
with the search firm used
to recruit candidates for the position, said the decision
to offer the job to Dunn came after an intense process
that involved district employees, parents and members
of the Norton community.
“We did some focus groups
with the community, parent groups, staff and administration,
and based on the criteria those groups came up with,
[Dunn] fit the criteria,” Hagenbush said.
She said 39 applicants initially
applied for the job, and the search firm narrowed that
down to 12 applicants, who were interviewed by the company.
The list was then narrowed to six, and one candidate
dropped out. The board and Hagenbush interviewed the
five candidates and narrowed it down to Dunn and John
Richard, superintendent for Perry Local Schools in Stark
County. Richard is also one of two finalists for the
superintendent job for Revere Local Schools [see
related news item on Page
10.]
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