Perrysburg board names Katie Anstead interim superintendent after rapid search

The Perrysburg Exempted Village School District Board of Education on Aug. 18 approved an employment agreement to appoint Dr. Katie Anstead as interim superintendent, authorizing the board president to execute the contract. The motion passed 4–1, with one board member voting no.

The vote came after district leaders described a compressed timeline to fill the superintendent post following Thomas L. Hosler’s resignation effective Aug. 31. Board members said the district faced limited options because the change occurred less than a week before teachers returned and just before the start of the school year. Board President Miss Roland Miller said she was grateful Anstead had “literally rearranged her life” to serve the district during the transition.

Board members and administrators explained that Ohio law separates the superintendent and treasurer from other district hires, and so interim searches for those roles typically rely on informal outreach to experienced candidates rather than public postings. Superintendent Hosler and district staff described how the board and administrators used those networks to identify potential interims after Hosler accepted a new position with the Ohio School Boards Association. The conversation about the search process and candidate availability began publicly at the Aug. 18 meeting.

Not all speakers supported the pace or process. Former board member Cal Smith told the board during public comment that he believed the board had not done enough to respond to “what the public’s saying,” and suggested Brooke Price as a possible interim or short-term option. Parent Jeremy Block urged the board to preserve after-school programs that rely on access to elementary gyms, arguing the community and volunteers could help cover gaps in custodial coverage. "Without these facilities, hundreds of students could lose the opportunity to explore their interests," Block said.

The motion before the board was recorded as an authorization to execute an employment agreement for an interim superintendent. The roll-call vote was: Mister Bennington — yes; Miss Larimer — yes; Mister Anderson — yes; Miss Menke — no; Miss Roland Miller — yes. The board did not record a named mover or seconder in the public transcript. The board also accepted Thomas L. Hosler’s resignation (effective Aug. 31) earlier in the meeting by a separate vote.

Board members said the interim appointment is intended to stabilize district operations and give the board time to plan a formal, public search for a permanent superintendent. Several directors said a search firm or a multi-month community-engagement process will be needed for the permanent replacement. Administrators emphasized the district must balance speed with transparency because the district faces an important levy in November and the timing affects staff, families and ongoing operations.

The board directed staff to continue planning for a permanent search process and to provide the community with details about timing and stakeholder outreach. No final timeline for the permanent search was adopted at the Aug. 18 meeting.

Votes at a glance: - Authorization to execute employment agreement for interim superintendent (Dr. Katie Anstead): approved 4–1 (Bennington, Larimer, Anderson, Roland Miller yes; Menke no). - Acceptance of resignation (Thomas L. Hosler), effective Aug. 31, 2025: approved (unanimous).