Avon, Ohio
The 2025-2026 school year starts in two months. Who is going to be leading the Avon Local Schools?
Current Avon Local Schools Superintendent, Ben Hodge, announced last month that he accepted the position as assistant superintendent at Polaris Career Center in Middleburg Heights. He begins his new job Aug. 1.Avon Local Schools
That is the question the district’s Board of Education is faced with after its superintendent search hit a bump in the road this summer.
Current superintendent, Ben Hodge, announced last month that he accepted the position as assistant superintendent at Polaris Career Center in Middleburg Heights. He begins his new job Aug. 1.
Because the resignation was made so late in the school year, the process to hire a new superintendent was on the fast track.
The district hired the Educational Service Center of Lorain County (ESC) to facilitate the search and handle the application process.
Only 12 people applied for the position. One applicant, Dr. Scott Hunt withdrew after he accepted the superintendent position with the Parma City Schools. The remaining 11 candidates were reviewed by ESC Superintendent Franco Gallo and the decision was made for the Avon Board of Education to interview two candidates, Strongsville City Schools Assistant Superintendent Jennifer Pelko, and retired Waterloo Local Schools (Portage County) Superintendent Dr. Joseph Clark.
Clark was also a finalist in the Parma superintendent search, as well as Perry Schools earlier this year.
According to Sadie Fox, Avon Local Schools treasurer, after the first round of interviews the Board chose to move forward with Dr. Clark as an interim candidate.
Updates on the search were posted in Short Takes, a community column on cleveland.com. Once the news began to circulate through the community that Clark was the only candidate moving forward after the interviews, social media was buzzing with criticism regarding the Board’s decision to keep Clark as the lone finalist.
In addition to Waterloo, Clark previously worked as superintendent for the Westerville (Columbus area) and Nordonia schools.
He resigned from Westerville amid district disciplinary investigations. Clark reportedly recorded several teaching modules in his district office for an online course for outside employment using district resources during the school day.
Another incident investigated was promotion on his official Westerville Superintendent page on social media for a book he authored. Clark also reportedly used the district’s logo alongside the book in a presentation at Otterbein University.
Clark started his position in Westerville in October 2023 and the district announced his resignation in February 2024.
In August 2024, he became the superintendent at the Waterloo Local School District. He announced his retirement in March, citing changes in the state’s retirement plan lowering of eligible service time.
A meeting was held June 9 for select Avon stakeholders to meet Clark and ask questions. Dozens of staff and residents packed the Avon Middle School media center to hear from Clark.
A regularly scheduled Board of Education meeting was held June 10 with several staff members also in attendance.
During the public comment portion of the meeting, Avon Middle School teacher and Avon Teachers Association union president Sean Hicks spoke out regarding the concern over the potential hiring of Clark. He cited numerous grievances filed against Clark from staff, among other issues he heard from talking with colleagues in the districts Clark served.
An Avon resident with daughters who attended the schools also spoke out regarding her concerns should the Board vote to move forward with hiring Clark.
The Board then voted to go into Executive Session and after deliberating for approximately 15 minutes behind closed doors, the members reconvened to the public meeting and Board President Tara Tatman read a prepared statement announcing the Board will not be moving forward with Dr. Clark as its interim candidate for superintendent.
The Board had not sent any communications to the school community/families prior to the interviews or June 10 Board meeting that Clark was being considered as an interim superintendent candidate. The members also did not address why/how Clark made it to finalist status.
The statement read at the Board meeting also included that ‘in light of feedback received, the Board has decided to put its focus on identifying an interim superintendent for the upcoming school year’.
“We recognize the importance of transparency, and we value the input and high expectations of our community,” according to the statement. “While this decision represents a change in direction, it reflects our commitment to doing what is best for the future of our schools.
“This interim approach will allow us the time and space to re-evaluate the search process and ensure that when the time comes to select a permanent superintendent, we do so in a way that reflects the priorities and values of our entire community.”
The ESC has posted the position for an interim superintendent candidate. The deadline to apply is June 20. The Board will review candidates the week of June 23.