FRMS to get new leader

FORT RECOVERY — The search was already on for one principal. Now Fort Recovery Local Schools is looking for two.
Fort Recovery School Board accepted the resignation of middle school principal Matt Triplett at a special meeting Monday.
The board also reviewed and approved its five-year financial forecast and made additional appropriations for fiscal year 2016.
Triplett is leaving Fort Recovery after seven years to become the new athletics director for Parkway Local School District. Parkway School Board approved him for that job Wednesday.
His resignation follows that of FRHS principal Jeff Hobbs, who announced on April 20 that he would be leaving to become superintendent at Fairlawn.
The decision was mostly about family for Triplett, who has three children, ages 7, 5 and 11 months.
“It’s getting tougher as they get older and are getting involved in things,” said Triplett, who lives in the Parkway district where his wife grew up. “It’s just harder.
“For me, ultimately it came down to trying to do what I felt and what my wife felt would be best for our family.”
Triplett’s resignation from the position he held for seven years at Fort Recovery is effective July 31. His first official day at Parkway is Aug. 4, but he said he plans on finding time in the interim to work with current athletics director Doug Hughes on the transition. Hughes is staying on staff at Parkway as a teacher.
In addition to athletics, the AD position will also likely include teaching one or two periods per day.
Triplett noted that his father-in-law, longtime Parkway coach Mike Schumm, also started his career in Fort Recovery.
“He told me when I took the job that some of the best people I would work with in my career would be here in Fort Recovery,” said Triplett. “And he was 100 percent correct.
“I’m excited about the move, but it is bittersweet because I really enjoy what I’ve done here in Fort Recovery.”
The Fort Recovery Middle School principal job was posted for applications this morning. Superintendent Justin Firks, who is currently in the process of interviewing seven candidates for the high school job, said he hopes to have both jobs filled by the June 21 school board meeting.
“It’s very similar to the high school principal,” he added of what he’s looking for in a middle school principal, emphasizing the need for creating a positive atmosphere and making a long-term commitment to Fort Recovery. “We’re looking for an individual who is an instructional leader and has high character. Someone who has high visibility in the community and with staff.”
Treasurer Lori Koch reported to the board that the school district’s financial outlook is strong, with an $801,983 budget surplus projected for this year.
“That’s the highest excess we have ever seen,” she said.
Additional surpluses of more than $625,000 and more than $350,000 are expected in 2017 and ’18 respectively. Fort Recovery had a budget surplus of $609,849 in 2015.
The reason for the surpluses is an increase in property tax collection and an influx of additional funding from the state level. The schools received $2.23 million in property tax funds this year, which is up more than $250,000 from 2015 and more than $500,000 from 2014. State funding was up by $330,000 for fiscal 2016, which ends June 30.
Fort Recovery is projected to end 2016 with a general fund cash balance of $4.56 million, about double the balance of $2.7 million it had in 2013. It is expected to continue to increase to about $5.5 million by the end of fiscal 2018.
Board members Jose Faller, Ginny Fortkamp, Mike Grube and Mitch Ervin, absent Aaron Guggenbiller, also made additional appropriations totaling $45,818.93.
The largest chunk of that is $25,000 for the purchase of laptop computers. Rather than waiting until after the new fiscal year begins in July to buy the computers as has been done in the past, they will instead be purchased in advance. That will allow the school’s technology staff more time to prepare for the start of the new year.
In other business, the board:
•Accepted the resignation of Dustin Woods as a teacher, aide and bus driver.