Geneva BOE hires Conneaut H.S. principal

By MARGIE TRAX PAGE - Staff Writer - mtrax@starbeacon.com
Star Beacon

July 17, 2008 02:40 am

— GENEVA — The hellos and goodbyes between Geneva and Conneaut school administrators continues, as Conneaut High School Principal Douglas Wetherholt will replace Geneva High School Principal Kent Houston, the Geneva Board of Education voted Wednesday.
Wetherholt stepped up to Houston’s principal position in Conneaut when Houston took the Geneva position last year. Geneva then raided Conneaut’s administrative office for Superintendent Mary Zappitelli and in turn lost Houston back to Conneaut, as Zappitelli’s replacement. Now, Wetherholt will follow in Houston’s principal footsteps again with the Geneva High School position.
Wetherholt’s salary was not immediately available at the meeting, Geneva School District Treasurer Kevin Lillie said.
“Mr. Wetherholt’s salary will be commensurate with his experience, which is less than Mr. Houston’s, so we expect it to be slightly less,” Lillie said. “The number is not available now but will be in the next few days.”
Wetherholt has been hired, but has yet to sign his two-year contract with the Geneva district, pending the finalization of his salary, Lillie said.
Wetherholt, a Jefferson resident, said his motivation in taking the Geneva principal’s job wasn’t financial.
“Geneva High School is going to be rated ‘excellent’ by the state, and the Ohio Graduation Test results are great,” Wetherholt said. “Equal to that, Geneva has such a commitment to education in the community, with support financially and in the classroom.”
Construction of the $100 million Geneva-area Recreation, Education, Athletic Trust campus in Harpersfield Township also helped nudge Wetherholt to Eagle Country.
“The sports complex is very exciting. A lot of community investments in Geneva are directed toward their pride in the schools,” he said.
Father to Morgan, 9, and Seth, 3, and husband to Tammy Wetherholt, Wetherholt said he is looking forward to meeting the high school staff and has an immediate plan of action for the school.
“I will look forward to looking at the curriculum design and hope to bring more advanced-placement classes to the district,” Wetherholt said. “I also feel the dual-crediting program offered by Kent State-Ashtabula campus could be expanded here.”