Edgewood school district names interim superintendent

Edgewood Schools’ next leader may be new to the district but not to the area.

Former Talawanda Schools Superintendent Kelly Spivey will take over as interim district leader on Jan. 1, when current Superintendent Russ Fussnecker retires.

Spivey, who has 36 years of public education, was most recently the interim superintendent at Huber Heights Schools, northeast of Dayton, having been hired by that district in January.

The long-time school district administrator, who retired from Talawanda in 2018, is also the executive director of High AIMS Consortium, an education organization in southwest Ohio that works to improve student achievement.

The Edgewood school board recently approved the hiring and Spivey said she is “excited about being back in Butler County and working with the students, staff, families, and community members within the Edgewood school district.”

Kelly said she “recognizes that education is still recovering from the loss of instructional time from the COVID-19 pandemic” and that “her goal over the next several months is to assure safety, connectedness, and fluidity while using transparency and data to make the best decisions for our students, staff and community.”

“I’m looking forward to the opportunity to work with the Edgewood community, its students, and staff.”

Former Hamilton County Princeton Schools Superintendent Ed Theroux took over for Spivey in Talawanda.

Fussnecker, who is the most veteran public school superintendent in Butler County, announced his retirement from Edgewood Schools in September with his last day in the office being Dec. 31.

Fussnecker has been with the district 16 years as an assistant principal, high school principal and since 2015 as superintendent.

Mid-school year retirements by superintendents are rare but traditionally the prime hiring window for local school boards, who hire superintendents and treasurers, occurs in the late winter and early spring with newly hired leaders often starting on August 1.

The Edgewood school board has released no timetable for any plans to hire a new, permanent superintendent.

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