Longtime Twinsburg schools superintendent announces immediate retirement

The Twinsburg City Schools superintendent, who has been with the district for 14 years, announced her plans to retire during a June 30 meeting.

Kathryn Powers stepped down effective July 1, according to district officials. Michael Sedlak, current director of Human Resources, has assumed the role of temporary interim superintendent while continuing to fulfill his responsibilities as HR director.

The school board will work with the Educational Service Center of Northeast Ohio to identify and appoint an interim superintendent to help lead the district during the search for a permanent replacement, according to school officials.

Powers said she and her family had recently experienced a personal loss, which led to her decision to retire.

“It’s been hard emotionally,” Powers said. “When you have a loss like that, you start to take inventory. I talked it over with my husband and I have put in enough years to retire. I am sad because I really do love this community. These are high-performing kids, a good district. I’m proud of the achievements I’ve had here.”

A look back: Twinsburg’s Powers named ‘Outstanding Superintendent’

The Twinsburg school district includes the city of Twinsburg, Twinsburg Township, Reminderville and a small portion of Aurora. The district has five school buildings and roughly 4,000 students.

One potential issue facing the district is its facilities. In May, voters rejected Issue 11, a $107 million bond issue asking for 3.84 mills, or $135 annually for each $100,000 of appraised property value for 36 years.

Had it passed, the district would have built one new elementary school for pre-k through sixth grade students, and renovated Twinsburg High School to house the district’s seventh through 12th grades, plus career tech. Wilcox Primary, Samuel Bissell Elementary and George G. Dodge Intermediate schools would have been demolished, and R.B. Chamberlin Middle School would have been vacated. A new stadium also would have been constructed behind the high school and the new elementary at the current stadium site.

Powers said what she loved most about her time as superintendent was hearing about students’ success.

“My favorite part of being a superintendent is when they come back after college and tell me what they’ve been doing,” she said. “It’s so rewarding to know you’ve had a small part in it. Also, the way the community pulled together during the COVID pandemic. We were all scared but we pulled together.”

The school board last approved a 5-year contract for Powers in 2019, which was set to expire July 31.

Reporter April Helms can be reached at ahelms@thebeaconjournal.com

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Kathryn Powers, Twinsburg schools superintendent, retires