Photo by Michael Kelly Beth Brown, left, shares a moment with staff members, from left, Victoria Cassady, Laura Bank and Holly Cunningham in the hallway of Frontier High School. Brown has been principal at the school for three years, and recently added the title of superintendent for the Frontier Local school district to her duties.

NEW MATAMORAS – Becoming superintendent of Frontier Local Schools wasn’t on Beth Brown’s list of expectations for the 2019-20 school year.

Brown, who is entering her fourth year as principal of Frontier Middle and High School, said she received a phone call early in August from superintendent Brian Rentsch.

“He called me on a Saturday morning to let me know he’d taken an offer from Claymont,” she said. “He told me he thought I was ready for this. It was an emotional and exciting day.”

Rentsch resigned unexpectedly to move to Claymont City Schools, in Tuscarawas County near New Philadephia after the superintendent there left the position suddenly. Rentsch had applied in the district before and been shortlisted twice, according to a news reports by TUSC-TV.

Brown accepted a contract offer from the Frontier board the following week, which includes provisions to keep her as high school principal.

Brown, 53, said becoming a superintendent fits her career plans, her capabilities and her experience.

“My dad was a superintendent at the district where I attended school,” she said. “He passed away three years ago, and I just wish I could talk to him now.”

Brown comes from a family of educators. In addition to her father, she said, her mother’s parents and several uncles were teachers.

“In my extended family, there’s probably about 300 years of education experience,” she said.

She got her teaching degree from Mount Union College and went on later to get a masters degree at Ohio University.

“That was 1999, and my dad recommended that I get an administrators certificate as part of my master’s studies,” she said. Brown came to Frontier four years ago, spending the first year as principal at New Matamoras Elementary School and the next three at Frontier High School.

“I’m feeling real grounded at the high school, and I’ve gotten lots of support from the board,” she said.

The split duties of superintendent and principal, she said, is being made possible by the support of her staff.

“Roger Kirkpatrick, the dean of students, is taking care of a lot of things,” she said.

Brown said her goals going into the year are to keep Frontier moving in the right direction.

“I want to continue Mr. Rentsch’s momentum,” she said. “The kids are ready to learn, and I want us to make sure they’re getting the content they need. There’s a lot of pride in the district, Mr. Rentsch reawakened that, and he was a great mentor to me.”

She said keeping an eye on enrollment and watching the district finances will be important, and she’d like to see a continued expansion of the array of technical classes available to students.

“It’s good to learn a technical field or a trade, to match our programs with what’s needed, job-wise,” she said. The majority of this year’s junior class, she said, are taking school at the Washington County Career Center.

Jeff Knowlton, president of the Frontier Local Schools board of education, said that when Rentsch informed the board he had accepted a new opportunity, offering the superintendent’s position to Brown seemed like an obvious solution to fill the vacancy.

“Beth was really excited about the opportunity, and it was a chance for us to reduce costs and reorganize the administration,” Knowlton said. “She came into the district as principal for New Matamoras, then moved to the high school, and she’s done a really good job.”

Knowlton said combining the superintendent and principal functions in one job will save the district about $60,000 a year, a significant amount for the small district, which enrolls about 600 students in three buildings.

“We struggle with the district finances and are always looking at ways to reduce costs,” he said. “We’ve taken away from the teaching staff as much as we can, and we actually had to put positions back. We’re just trying to be wise and responsible with our money and provide a good education to our kids.

“Beth really care about Frontier, the students and the faculty, and when you care, you set expectations and hold folks accountable. She’s demonstrated that during her time here.”

Brown said she is ready for the challenge.

“This,” she said, “is the greatest occupation there is. You touch the lives of hundreds, even thousands of kids. I want us to keep bettering our best, making the most of every moment.”

Michael Kelly can be contacted at mkelly@mariettatimes.com.

Beth Brown

• Positions: Superintendent, Frontier Local Schools, principal, Frontier Middle and High School.

•Age: 53.

•Residence: Marietta.

• Education: University of Mount Olive, N.C. (bachelors) and Ohio University (masters).

• Career: Morgan Local Schools, Fort Frye Local Schools, Frontier Local Schools.

•Family: Single, no children.

Source: Beth Brown.