SIDNEY — The Midwest Regional Educational Service Center has released the names of three finalists for the position of superintendent of Hardin-Houston Local Schools.
Larry Claypool, the current superintendent, has announced that he will retire in July.
The Hardin-Houston Board of Education met Thursday, Feb. 7, to interview six of the 13 applicants. They have selected three of them to continue through the interview process.
Those candidates are Duane Caudill, of Urbana, currently principal of Bethel Local Schools Middle School; Stephanie Klingshirn, of Rossburg, currently curriculum and gifted coordinator of the Mississinawa Valley School District; and Ryan Maier, of Houston, currently principal of Hardin-Houston Junior/Senior High School.
Caudill holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Wright State University, a Bachelor of Science in education from Urbana University and a Master of Science in Education in educational leadership from the University of Dayton, where he also earned his principal and superintendent licensure. Before joining the Bethel school system, he taught fourth- and fifth-grade math for 10 years and served as math curriculum coach for two years in the Springfield City Schools and was principal of Triad Local Schools in North Lewisburg for 10 years.
Klingshirn graduated from Anna High School. She received a Bachelor of Science from the Ohio State University and a Master of Science in educational administration and her principal licensure from the University of Dayton. She earned her superintendent licensure at Concordia University. She has taught elementary students in the Fort Recovery, Mississinawa Valley and Crestview Local Schools, spent six years as principal of Fort Loramie Elementary School, served as principal of Springcreek Elementary School in Piqua and for the past 10 years, was the elementary principal at Mississinawa Valley Local Schools before moving into her current job.
Maier, a Hardin-Houston High School graduate, earned his Bachelor of Science in education from Wilmington College and a Master of Science in Education in educational leadership from the University of Dayton, where he also earned his principal and superintendent licensure. He taught math and coached baseball and basketball at Hardin-Houston High for 10 years before becoming principal 12 years ago.
The Hardin-Houston Board of Education is inviting a group of diverse stakeholders to participate in a focus group with these candidates, Feb. 19.
“The board hopes to make a final determination on the new superintendent by the end of February,” said Scott Howell, superintendent of the Midwest Regional Education Service Center. The board partnered with the service center to conduct the search.
