ASHLAND—The Ashland City School District has a new superintendent.
Well, sort of.
Last Saturday, Ashland alum and interim superintendent Steve Paramore got to drop the “interim” part of his title, becoming the district’s official superintendent.
To celebrate, a cadre of administrative office staff that included deputy superintendent Linda McKibben put together a three-hour reception honoring Paramore in the Ashland Middle School cafeteria on Wednesday.
“I appreciate all the people that went through the effort and the fuss to make this a celebration for me. But the big picture to me is this is a celebration for Ashland City Schools and all the hard work that they do for the community,” Paramore said.
Guests mingled, snacked on baked goods and wrote notes for the new superintendent while a best-of reel of Paramore’s appearances in school PSAs played in the background.
The cafeteria sported a visual feast of orange balloons, tablecloths, and even golf balls with Paramore’s face printed on them. Also included was a massive balloon archway that receptionist Colleen Hord and business secretary Kristin Somsak spent “all week” inflating balloons for, McKibben said.
Teachers, school board members, students, and even some staff from Paramore’s time as a student at Ashland all came out on Wednesday to congratulate him on his new role.
“A lot of people, I’m very appreciative of them because they understand that we’re in good hands, but obviously it’s more than just my hands that are gonna help lead this district. So we’re gonna do it as a team effort, and I want them all to realize how much they’re a part of this team as well,” Paramore said.
After graduating from Ashland High School in 1999, Paramore returned to the district five years later to coach golf. Ten years later, he accepted a job as the middle school’s assistant principal, starting his rise through the administrative ranks that would eventually land him in the superintendent’s chair.
He got there through “hard work” and sticking to his “core values,” Paramore said.
“If you stick to those (core values), I always feel like good things happen to good people, and we have so many good people in this community and then in this district that good things are gonna continue to happen for our students, our families, and especially our staff,” he said.
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