New Albany-Plain Local Schools has selected its new superintendent.
Jason Fine, Ph.D., the current superintendent of Bexley City Schools, has been appointed as the newest superintendent of the New Albany-Plain district. He will replace Michael Sawyers, who is leaving the district to become superintendent of the Educational Service Center of Central Ohio. Sawyers was selected for the role on April 22.
Fine’s first day as the NAPLS Superintendent will be Aug. 1, according to a May 14 letter from the New Albany-Plain Board of Education. The Dispatch has reached out to the school district for additional information on what Fine’s salary will be. Sawyers had a base annual salary exceeding $300,000.
“Following an expedited recruitment and search process conducted in partnership with the ESC of Central Ohio, the Board is confident that Dr. Fine brings exactly the vision, experience, and character our Learning Community deserves,” the board said in announcing Fine’s appointment.
Fine said in the prepared board letter announcing his appointment that he was “deeply honored and humbled” to be selected to lead the school district.
“The NAPLS Learning Community is exceptional in every sense – its students, its families, its dedicated faculty, staff, and administration, and its extraordinary commitment to being the best,” Fine said.
“I have spent my career working to ensure every student has the opportunity to grow, thrive, and find their place in a community that believes in them,” he continued. “I look forward to building on the remarkable foundation that has been established here, deepening the partnerships that make New Albany so special, and working alongside this incredible community to achieve outcomes that make every student proud. I cannot wait to get started.”
Fine has served as the superintendent for Bexley City Schools since July 2021, according to NAPLS. He has worked in education since 2002, when he began as a teacher in Hilliard City Schools. He served as the principal of Jones Middle School and Barrington Elementary School in Upper Arlington City Schools before joining Bexley City Schools, according to NAPLS.
Fine holds degrees from Ohio University and Cambridge College, and received his Doctorate in Education from Miami University. The Board noted that his educational background and “hands on leadership experience” in central Ohio school districts makes him the right pick as superintendent.
The board said Fine is joining the school district during an “exciting period” as it rolls out a $135 million Campus Master Plan and as it anticipates increased enrollment growth over the next decade.
“We are confident [Fine] will embrace and champion the Statement of Purpose, ‘To Create a Culture of Accountability That Achieves the Best Academic and Developmental Outcomes for Each Student,’ with the same conviction and passion that defines this Learning Community,” the Board said.
The board said it would be introducing Fine to the NAPLS community in the coming weeks.
Reporter Shahid Meighan can be reached at smeighan@dispatch.com, at ShahidMeighan on X, and at shahidthereporter.dispatch.com on Bluesky.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: New Albany-Plain Local Schools names Jason Fine as new superintendent
Reporting by Shahid Meighan, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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