SALEM SCHOOLS Board to hire KSU staff member as principal

The new principal is replacing a longtime educator.
By NORMAN LEIGH
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
SALEM -- A Kent State University staff member will be taking over principal duties at a city school district elementary school.
The school board agreed Monday to hire Dr. Gay Fawcett, 52, as Reilly Elementary School principal, effective Aug. 1.
Fawcett, who lives in Stow, will replace Marguerite Miller, who retires June 30 as Reilly principal after having worked for the school district for more than 30 years.
Fawcett will be paid about $64,000 annually, said Superintendent Dr. David Brobeck. Her duties also will include coordinating grant applications.
Fawcett works as director of research for KSU's Center for Educational Technology, a post she's held for 18 months. The center is on the main campus.
Fawcett also has worked as language arts consultant and director of curriculum and instructional technology for the Summit County Educational Service Center.
Before that she was an elementary school teacher for the Stow school district.
Retirements: The school board accepted a retirement resignation from Sandy Heston, an aide at Reilly Elementary, who has worked for the school district for 20 years.
Also retiring is Janet Shears, a teacher at Reilly Elementary for 22 years.
During superintendent's remarks, Brobeck said he is committed to reversing declining enrollment at the school district.
Overall enrollment stands at about 2,600 pupils. Projections call for that total to drop to 2,400 in about six years, Brobeck said.
One step the district has taken is to hire an open-enrollment coordinator whose job will be to try to retain pupils who leave Salem to attend schools in other districts.
Doug Phillips was hired in April as the open-enrollment coordinator. He also will serve as varsity football coach.