NORTH RIDGEVILLE — Just over two months after Michael Tefs’ unexpected announcement that he was stepping down as superintendent of the North Ridgeville City Schools after nine months on the job, the district has concluded its search for a new leader by choosing one of its own.

Craig Phillips, 53, who has served as the district’s assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction for the past five years, accepted a school board offer of a four-year contract during a special meeting this week.

Phillips will begin his duties July 1 at an annual salary of $124,000. His contract is expected to be approved at the June 17 board meeting.

“We’ve got a great community that’s been awful good to me, and I’m really excited to continue working with them to do some great things.”

Phillips began his 31-year educational career in North Ridgeville as a learning disabilities teacher from 1977-81. After stints with the Parma City Schools and Kenston in Geauga County, he returned to the district as principal at Liberty Elementary School from 1988-90.

“It’s really cool to be able to end my career here,” said Phillips on Friday afternoon. “We have an awesome school district with great students and staff, and supportive parents.”

Phillips, whose experience also includes stints with Keystone and the Lorain County Board of Education, said he knows he has the same cross to bear as most Ohio school districts these days: Convincing voters to approve additional operating revenue and future bond issues for construction of new buildings.

The district has not OK’d additional operating money for 13 years, according to Maria Sycz, president of the North Ridgeville School Board.

“We’ve got to work on creating a vision and master plan with the community, and get them behind us,” said Phillips. “We have to educate and work with residents in the community to trust us. It’s all about collaboration and working together.”

Faced with teaching elementary school students in modular classrooms in an effort to keep pace with the growing number of students moving into the 3,800-pupil district, school officials have seen voters reject a nearly 5-mill bond issue twice within the past year. The issue would have generated $54 million over 28 years to pay for a new high school, and convert the existing high school into a middle school.        

Phillips was chosen from a pool of 29 applicants.

“He just came out on top,” Sycz said. “There was no doubt in the board’s mind that he had the qualifications and criteria we were looking for.”

Phillips’ familiarity with the district, its personnel and issues were a major factor in his selection.

“He knows our staff and a lot of our students,” Sycz said. “Having that sense of belonging, and understanding the community was definitely a plus.”

The board did interview one other local candidate, James Powell, the principal of Lear North Elementary School, and the district’s kindergarten center.    

Phillips holds undergraduate degrees in education and learning disabilities/behavior disorders from Bowling Green State University and a master’s degree in supervision of special education from Kent State University. He obtained a doctorate in educational administration from the University of Akron.    

Due to his years of experience and educational background, his salary represents a slight increase over that paid to Tefs, according to Sycz.

Phillips resides in Parma with his wife, Cheryl, an instrumental music teacher in the Parma City Schools. They have two sons, Scott and Brian.

Contact Steve Fogarty at 329-7146 or sfogarty@chroniclet.com.

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