Miami East Local board approves treasurer and high school principal hires, grants transition pay

The Miami East Local School District board on Wednesday approved the hire of Hannah Davis as treasurer and Kelly Kaufman as high school principal and authorized up to five paid transition days for Davis, district officials said.

Hannah Davis, who introduced herself to the board, said she is "very excited to be joining Miami's, and I'm very impressed by the district both academically and financially." She summarized her background as "the director of finance for the past 4 years at Lakota Local Schools" and a prior role "as an assistant treasurer at Northeastern Local Schools," and said she earned her CPA while working in an auditor's office. The motion to hire Davis was approved pending a background check; the board also approved up to five paid transition days at the board-approved daily rate to assist her move into the treasurer/CFO office.

Kelly Kaufman, introduced for the high school principal position, told the board, "My name is Kelly Kaufman, and boy, oh, boy, did not have this on my bingo card," and said she was drawn to Miami East by the district's "tradition" and "academic and athletic excellence." The board approved a one-year limited contract at step 6, effective August 1 through July 31, 2027, pending the required background check.

The chair said the district conducted an "aggressive process and compressed timeline" for the treasurer search in partnership with K12, describing a pool of four applicants, three finalists and a two-round interview process. The chair said the panel was "very, very impressed" and that Davis "stood out to this group, by leaps and bounds." Board members and administrators praised the hires as experienced candidates who can "hit the ground running."

The meeting also included an introduction of Sue Dangert as the incoming elementary principal. Dangert said she has "23 years in education," has been an administrator and a reading teacher, and expressed enthusiasm about joining the district and working with students.

All personnel actions discussed during the meeting were approved by roll call votes. The board noted contracts are contingent on background checks where stated. The meeting adjourned at approximately 5:30 p.m.