Sayers leaving Amherst Schools early for Kenston interim superintendent job

AMHERST — Steve Sayers is bowing out of his 14-year role as superintendent of the Amherst Schools earlier than expected. He already had announced plans to retire at the end of December. But those plans are being hastened after Sayers was hired Wednesday to serve as interim superintendent of the Kenston Schools in Geauga County. "Even in retirement, my goal was to stay busy with consulting and/or interim works," he said in a Sunday morning social media post. "I never imagined the opportunity to serve another high performing district as an interim would happen so quickly." Kenston has been looking for a replacement for Nancy Santilli, who left the job to take a position as assistant superintendent at the Educational Service Center of the Western Reserve. In June, the Chagrin Falls district had named several applicants for first-round interviews. They included Ted Gorman, principal at Steubenville High School; Edward Klein, assistant superintendent for the Chardon Schools; Betty Jo Malchesky, assistant superintendent of the Perry Schools; Paul Milcetich, assistant superintendent for the Aurora Schools; and Tom Gabram, principal at Kenston High. But earlier this month, the search was suspended and Kenston set its sights on an interim to tide the district over until 2023. The Kenston Board of Education unanimously picked Sayers for the one-year contract with a salary of $156,000. "He exudes positive energy, enthusiasm and optimism about our students, staff and schools that will continue to move the district forward. We believe he has the skills needed to adapt and adjust as needed in the role of interim superintendent," said board President Neysa Gaskins. A statement from that district notes Sayers' record of fiscal responsibility and his experience closing school buildings, overseeing facilities' construction and restructuring services to be more efficient. Sayers said he plans to submit his resignation to the Amherst Board of Education effective July 31. That means Assistant Superintendent Michael Molnar, who was selected to succeed him starting in November, will transition to the top spot as of Aug. 1. "Michael is prepared," said Amherst school board President Rex Engle. "He has some different ideas on different things, and he will make those announcements when the time comes." Declining to give details, he described the pending changes as "nothing major," and said Molnar "wants to be somewhat more inclusive on some things." The Amherst Schools "are going to proceed right on. We're not going to miss a beat," he said. Sayers started his education career in 1987 at Keystone, where he taught math, coached basketball and served as athletic director. He became assistant principal at Midview High School in 1994 and briefly served as principal at Wellington High School before returning to Midview as principal until 2001. After stints as an administrator in Lakewood and Apple Creek, Sayers was hired as superintendent in Amherst in 2008. He retired and was rehired in 2015. "It has truly been a blessing to be part of such a wonderful school district and community," Sayers said in a goodbye note to the Amherst community. "With your support we have been able to do so much. It was with great pride that I was able to share the Amherst story with the Kenston board during the interview. Through a collective effort by our students, staff and community, we have been able to move our district forward in a way that many others have taken note of." Contact Jason Hawk at (440) 329-7122 or news@lcnewspapers.com.