There always have been five filled chairs, and usually the one in the middle has been occupied by the elected president.
At least that has been Dr. Kim Miller’s experience since she was hired as the superintendent of Ohio County Schools in June 2016. There have been five board presidents during her tenure, including newly elected Andy Garber and the most recent past president, David Croft.
To her, it is as simple as it should be. The board hires her, and the board fires her.
“When it comes to having a new board president now, the first thing I have to say is that Mr. (David) Croft was outstanding in the position, in my opinion, and now it’s time to work with Mr. (Andy) Garber as the president of the board, and I look forward to that,” Miller said. “I believe all of our board members bring something unique to our board, and we’re fortunate to have those different perspectives working for our children in the county.
“There are a lot of things already in motion that Mr. Garber will need to catch up on as a new member, and everyone in the Central Office will do everything we can whenever possible,” she said. “No matter what, we always move forward, and now we only have a few weeks until a new school year.”
New and New
Garber was a teacher and a principal during his 40 years in public education, and he received the most votes (3,620) in his quest to gain a seat on the Board of Education.
Soon after Garber was sworn in by Ohio County Circuit Court Judge David Sims, BOE member Pete Chacalos nominated him as president, and Molly Aderholt, re-elected in May, nominated Croft. Along with Chacalos, Garber and BOE member Grace Norton voted for Garber.
“I know it’s an easy topic to get caught up on, but I concentrate on how to best move forward. I know that sounds like a textbook answer, but it’s the truth. I refuse to get caught up in those things,” Miller said. “When I meet with board members, we discuss issues and how to address them, and how to make improvements where we can. Those are the conversations I’m interested in having.
“It’s been a good summer and I know our family has had a lot of fun. It was good to relax,” she added. “But I’m looking forward to getting back into our routine so we can watch our young people succeed doing what they love to do.”
Plans in Place
It has been a busy summer for the superintendent and the Miller family. Not only did it begin with her daughter Kayley’s graduation from Stanford, but there have been concerts, travel, and yes, meetings about the ongoing bond projects throughout the school system.
One of the priorities of the construction plans for each of the 13 school buildings was to fortify the entrances/exits, but the other goals involved the creation of learning environments that were developed by studying facilities in the western Pennsylvania region. That is why, despite the fact she has always been a big fan of summer break, Miller is eager to witness the reactions of as many students as possible.
“I can’t wait to hear what the kids think of their school buildings because a lot of work has taken place over the summer. Construction will continue in some places during the first semester, but we’re getting close to completion in a lot of areas,” the superintendent explained. “I’m planning to get to our schools once we get back into the classroom and I’m willing to bet I hear a lot about how impressed the kids are.
“Our students are very lucky to have our community members support them so all of these improvements can be made to our schools. These buildings are not new, so we have to make sure our kids have the facilities they need to learn now and, in the future,” she said. “And a lot of the work at our buildings involves security, too, so everyone will have to adjust how they enter and exit, but it’s all about safety.”
