ASHLAND — Ashland City Schools Superintendent Doug Marrah is looking to retire by the end of 2022 and move on to a new role as Executive Director at Tri-County Computer Services Associates, according to the district’s board president and a TCCSA staffer.
Stuart Workman, a software support specialist for TCCSA, confirmed Marrah’s hiring in a phone interview Wednesday.
Workman, according to an internal email reviewed by Ashland Source, will be working with Marrah to prepare him for the new role in the coming months.
The email congratulated Marrah on being chosen as their new executive director, starting January 1.
“[A]fter an extensive search and interview process, it was clear that he was the best person to be the next leader at TCCSA,” the email read.
Ashland City School Board President Zack Truax said Marrah plans to retire, but stressed that nothing has been made official yet. Instead, he referred to personal conversations he had with the superintendent.
“Obviously Dr. Marrah has had a long career and him and I have had personal conversations about his future and him approaching the end of his career. We’ve had quite a few personal conversations that I can’t share right now,” Truax said.
Normally, the school board would have to approve a superintendent’s resignation, but because Marrah is planning to retire and not resign, approval is not needed, Truax said.
Marrah’s contract was recently amended in late June to include a 2% raise for the upcoming school year, making his salary $170,985, according to a report in the Ashland Times-Gazette.
The school board also in May 2021 gave the superintendent a proactive 3.33% raise for work performed Aug. 1, 2021 through July 31, 2022.
Marrah has been superintendent since 2011, and his current contract expires in July 2024.
Marrah’s salary was the highest in Ashland County by more than $60,000 in 2020, at least when comparing other superintendents’ base salaries within the county.
His salary also represents the highest within the Ohio Cardinal Conference by nearly $30,000. The conference includes schools in the area with similar student enrollment numbers.
Marrah could not be reached for comment at the time of publication.
TCCSA is a non-profit governed by the Midland Council of Governments that provides technology and network support to 28 school districts in north central and northeastern Ohio. The school districts that are serviced by TCCSA also own the company.
