At its June 16 Special Meeting, the Cleveland Heights-University Heights Board of Education selected Douglas G. Heuer, Superintendent of Austintown Local Schools, as the District’s next superintendent.

“Mr. Heuer brings with him 25 years of administrative experience and a proven track record of establishing initiatives to improve student achievement and enhance community partnerships to engage families and residents,” Board of Education President Kal Zucker said. “His experience leading an inner-ring suburb of Youngstown and implementing successful educational initiatives that remove barriers to learning and promote equity and access across all levels, made him the best choice for our District.”

During his time as the Austintown schools chief, the District met Adequate Yearly Progress standards in 2007 and 2008 and improved to having six schools rated “Excellent,” including two Schools of Distinction, two Schools of Promise, a National Blue Ribbon of Excellence Award recipient, and a National Blue Ribbon of Excellence nominee. Under Heuer’s leadership Austintown passed two renewal levies totaling 12.2 mills with a 65% majority, the largest margin of victory in the district’s history. With a focus on sound fiscal management, Austintown finances improved from a projected deficit in 2006 to having annual carryovers in excess of $2 million between 2006 and 2008 with no new tax revenues. Heuer successfully collaborated with city leaders, a medical company, and a non-profit organization to raise $400,000 to renovate community recreation facilities and jointly establish wellness programs for students, staff, and residents.

“I greatly appreciate the opportunity to join the Cleveland Heights – University Heights team and continue the District’s focused work on student achievement,” Heuer said. “I am excited to build on the District’s rich legacy and support its vision to prepare all students to be globally competitive. The Board has entrusted me with a great responsibility to continue this District’s progress and I vow to our families and residents to keep the momentum moving forward. I share the Board’s goal to move this District upward in the state rankings with my target set on excellence.”

Prior to his work in Austintown Local Schools, Heuer was the Superintendent of Johnstown-Monroe Local Schools (near Columbus), an elementary principal, coordinator of secondary education, and assistant middle school principal in Dublin City Schools, assistant high school principal in South-Western City Schools, and Curriculum Coordinator in the Athens City Schools. Heuer has also served as an adjunct professor of mathematics for Columbus State Community College and a high school mathematics teacher at Westland, Upper Arlington, and Mauldin High Schools. In addition, he has coached football, wrestling, and track at the high school level.

Heuer plans to relocate and reside in the Cleveland Heights – University Heights City School District. He has worked on his doctoral studies at The Ohio State University, completed his Masters of Education at Wright State University, and completed his Bachelor of Arts at Wittenberg University.

The CH-UH Board hired Hudepohl & Associates to conduct a superintendent search following Deborah Delisle’s appointment as Ohio’s Superintendent of Public Instruction. Hudepohl targeted superintendents and assistant superintendents of Ohio districts with enrollment greater than 2,000 that had significant academic improvement over the last three to four years, and demographics that include poverty and minority achievement gaps. Outside of Ohio, members of the Minority Student Achievement Network and other inner-ring suburb districts of large, urban areas east of the Mississippi were targeted.

Zucker said the Board is very pleased with Hudepohl's management of the search and finding such a well-qualified applicant pool. "The search for a new superintendent was extensive and far reaching," he said.