July 9, 2020 at 5:21 p.m.
Hometown hire
Fort Recovery graduate Ryan Steinbrunner chosen to follow Stahl as middle school principal
Hometown hire
FORT RECOVERY — The school board needed to look only as far as the middle school to find its new high school principal. The distance searched for his replacement at the middle school was, somehow, even shorter.
Fort Recovery School Board this morning hired 2004 Fort Recovery High School graduate Ryan Steinbrunner to be its new middle school principal.
Steinbrunner, an avid golfer, lives “about a 3-wood away” from the school he will now be leading.
“I’m extremely excited to be here,” Steinbrunner, who last year built a new house on Sharpsburg Road southeast of FRMS, told the board after his hiring was approved. “I wasn’t actively seeking an administrator job yet … but Fort Recovery’s where I’ve always wanted to be. So when that job opened, I wanted it. … I’m glad to make it through the interview process and be sitting here with you. I’m extremely excited to serve this school”
He takes over for Tony Stahl, who was moved from middle school principal to high school principal last month. Stahl had been at the middle school for four years.
School board president Nick Wehrkamp, who took himself out of the interview process because he and Steinbrunner are friends and neighbors, had high praise for his former classmate.
“I’ve known Ryan my whole life,” said Wehrkamp, also a 2004 FRHS graduate. “He’s the kind of guy that we’re looking to be an administrator at this school. He’s from here. He’s going to be here. He’s committed to the district and he’s committed to Fort Recovery.”
He and fellow board members Jake Knapke, Don Wendel, Anne Guggenbiller and Greg LeFevre unanimously approved the hiring.
Steinbrunner has spent the entirety of his career in education at East Jay Middle School as a math and science teacher. He also served as substitute principal during the 2019-20 school year.
He was Jay County High School’s boys golf coach, started the middle school golf program and coached EJMS eighth grade boys basketball.
Steinbrunner was selected from a field of 23 candidates, with 10 interviews conducted by a committee that included middle school staff. His two-year contract begins Aug. 1.
“He was very well-prepared for this interview process,” said Fort Recovery Local Schools superintendent Larry Brown. “And not only that, he has the skills from his teaching experience in middle school … We’re excited about his preparation.”
After graduating from FRHS, Steinbrunner went on to earn bachelor’s (2008) and master’s (2009) degrees in education from Wright State University. He is in the process of obtaining his principal licensure through Ball State University.
In his first days on the job, he said he’s looking forward to getting to know his staff and students. While he grew up in the community, only one middle school teacher — Marcia Weigel — remains from his time at that grade level.
“My first goal is going to be to build rapport with my staff, build a rapport with my students,” said Steinbrunner, a father of three, including a first grader and a kindergartener at Fort Recovery Elementary School. “And then I want to continue to see the community pride of the school grow. I want the students to feel like their accomplishments are being recognized and I want them to continue to grow. …
“It’s a strong school system, and I just want to continue that.”
A lifelong Fort Recovery resident, Steinbrunner is involved with Fort Recovery Athletic Boosters and the Win on the Wabash (WoW) Committee. He is also active in St. Joe Catholic Church.
“I’m excited to work in the school system I graduated from,” he said. “I’m excited to work in my hometown. I’m vested in this community. …
“I love this community. I’m glad to be working here.”
Fort Recovery School Board this morning hired 2004 Fort Recovery High School graduate Ryan Steinbrunner to be its new middle school principal.
Steinbrunner, an avid golfer, lives “about a 3-wood away” from the school he will now be leading.
“I’m extremely excited to be here,” Steinbrunner, who last year built a new house on Sharpsburg Road southeast of FRMS, told the board after his hiring was approved. “I wasn’t actively seeking an administrator job yet … but Fort Recovery’s where I’ve always wanted to be. So when that job opened, I wanted it. … I’m glad to make it through the interview process and be sitting here with you. I’m extremely excited to serve this school”
He takes over for Tony Stahl, who was moved from middle school principal to high school principal last month. Stahl had been at the middle school for four years.
School board president Nick Wehrkamp, who took himself out of the interview process because he and Steinbrunner are friends and neighbors, had high praise for his former classmate.
“I’ve known Ryan my whole life,” said Wehrkamp, also a 2004 FRHS graduate. “He’s the kind of guy that we’re looking to be an administrator at this school. He’s from here. He’s going to be here. He’s committed to the district and he’s committed to Fort Recovery.”
He and fellow board members Jake Knapke, Don Wendel, Anne Guggenbiller and Greg LeFevre unanimously approved the hiring.
Steinbrunner has spent the entirety of his career in education at East Jay Middle School as a math and science teacher. He also served as substitute principal during the 2019-20 school year.
He was Jay County High School’s boys golf coach, started the middle school golf program and coached EJMS eighth grade boys basketball.
Steinbrunner was selected from a field of 23 candidates, with 10 interviews conducted by a committee that included middle school staff. His two-year contract begins Aug. 1.
“He was very well-prepared for this interview process,” said Fort Recovery Local Schools superintendent Larry Brown. “And not only that, he has the skills from his teaching experience in middle school … We’re excited about his preparation.”
After graduating from FRHS, Steinbrunner went on to earn bachelor’s (2008) and master’s (2009) degrees in education from Wright State University. He is in the process of obtaining his principal licensure through Ball State University.
In his first days on the job, he said he’s looking forward to getting to know his staff and students. While he grew up in the community, only one middle school teacher — Marcia Weigel — remains from his time at that grade level.
“My first goal is going to be to build rapport with my staff, build a rapport with my students,” said Steinbrunner, a father of three, including a first grader and a kindergartener at Fort Recovery Elementary School. “And then I want to continue to see the community pride of the school grow. I want the students to feel like their accomplishments are being recognized and I want them to continue to grow. …
“It’s a strong school system, and I just want to continue that.”
A lifelong Fort Recovery resident, Steinbrunner is involved with Fort Recovery Athletic Boosters and the Win on the Wabash (WoW) Committee. He is also active in St. Joe Catholic Church.
“I’m excited to work in the school system I graduated from,” he said. “I’m excited to work in my hometown. I’m vested in this community. …
“I love this community. I’m glad to be working here.”
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