Under Ohio law of the state’s 613 public school districts, local school boards hire two positions, superintendent and treasurer.
Phillips has worked as both, and that varied job history was a major part of his landing the Fairfield job, said the leader of the Fairfield Board of Education.
“When Mr. Phillips applied, the board was intrigued by his prior work experience as a superintendent,” said School Board President Brian Begley.
“His excellent communication skills were evident, and his knowledge of how a school district works was seen as a positive as he transitioned from superintendent to school treasurer."
Phillips said the unusual switch from superintendent to treasurer was a challenge that appealed to him and that he believes he brings more to his current job because of his varied experience.
“I understand the big picture from an educator’s standpoint, and I understand how every financial decision connects to classrooms, teachers and ultimately student learning,” said Phillips, who oversees an operating budget of $119 million for the district that serves both the city of Fairfield and Fairfield Twp.
“I think that is a huge advantage. It’s one thing to know and understand the numbers from a financial perspective, but it’s another thing to really know how the dollars truly impact students and staff on a day-to-day basis.”
He started his career as a math teacher, coach and athletic director at the middle school level in the Hamilton County’s Oak Hills Schools and later as an assistant principal for that district’s middle school and high school.
In 2013, he became Deer Park Schools’ director of curriculum. Two years later, Phillips was promoted to assistant superintendent, and in 2017, he became superintendent.
“I think having this perspective will help me collaborate with our administrative team and teaching staff to align our district’s finances with our district’s mission and goals, not just the bottom line. The other piece of experience I have brought to the table is being able to communicate district finances in a way that is hopefully understandable to our community. School finance can be a very confusing topic and for the general public, who don’t live it every day, school finance can be very hard to understand,” said Phillips.
Begley said Fairfield is “very fortunate to have Mr. Phillips as our top financial officer.”
“Property taxes and school finances are hot-button topics for everyone. Every school district has a responsibility to educate and communicate their financial position. Mr. Phillips will be able to share our story and help our families understand how a successful school district impacts a community,” said Begley.
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