CANTON TWP. – Not long after Larry Tausch started his career in education, he knew the classroom wouldn’t be his last stop.
“Ultimately, I knew I would be a superintendent,” the 53-year-old said. “The last couple of years at Northwest, I have been grabbing hold of district initiatives. I was outgrowing high school principal. I knew if the right opportunity came along, I had to grab it.”
That’s just what he did when Canton Local Schools began looking for a new leader.
The Canton Local Board of Education approved Tausch at the June 16 board meeting as the district’s new superintendent.
Tausch will succeed Brett Yeagley, who was hired last month as the new Lake Local superintendent to replace retiring Superintendent Kevin Tobin.
The board gave Tausch a three-year contract effective Aug. 1 with a base salary of $138,750 for the 2025-26 school year.
Tausch has been at Northwest Local Schools in Canal Fulton for the past 13 years, four as middle school principal, followed by the last nine as high school principal. Previously he was principal at Apple Creek Elementary.
He began his career at Plain Local Schools as a sixth-grade English language arts teacher for 13 years and coached multiple sports, including wrestling, track, and football.
The 1990 Perry High School graduate is excited to start his new job but leaving Northwest will be hard.
Larry Tausch moving to Canton Local Schools
“Bittersweet is an understatement,” Tausch said. “I’m excited but heartbroken. The things we have done in the last decade are coming to fruition now. I know they will continue on.”
Tausch has been leading the effort at Northwest to help students navigate cell phones and social media and the problems that could develop with them.
He hopes to bring some of the successful initiatives to Canton Local while maintaining their traditions.
“Canton Local has been moving in the right direction and I want to make Canton Local as good as it can be,” Tausch said. “I can’t wait to take it to greater things.”
Board President Tom Kovesci said Tausch has proven his leadership and commitment to students. His well-rounded experience makes Tausch the right person to lead Canton Local into the future, he said.
Since his appointment, Tausch has spent time meeting the administrative leaders and staff, whom he says are amazing and learning the layout of the district. His summer will be filled with closing up his work at Northwest and setting up for his new job.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: ‘I had to grab it.’ Larry Tausch ready for opportunity to lead Canton Local Schools
Reporting by Amy L. Knapp, Massillon Independent / The Repository
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