By JAN McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
With one month till students are back in school, Bowling Green Board of Education on Tuesday filled open positions in the district including the hiring of a new high school assistant principal.
Josiah Rupp was selected to fill the assistant principal job previously held by Beth Utz. The school board approved a two-year contract with Rupp, with a base salary of $82,000.
Rupp is originally from Blissfield, Michigan, and earned his degree in education at Bowling Green State University. He did his student teaching at Bowling Green Middle School, then went on to teach biology in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Rupp, 26, said he and his wife wanted to move back closer to family, so his most recent position was teaching physics at Central Catholic High School in Toledo. At both schools he also worked with the football programs.
Bowling Green High School Principal Dan Black said Rupp will be a good fit here.
“He comes to us with high school experience,” including in St. Petersburg, which was “not an easy district,” Black said. “He’s dealt with difficult situations.”
“He seems very eager, a quick study,” Black added. “I think his personality will fit well with our staff.”
Superintendent Ted Haselman said Rupp’s colleagues said he is energetic, a quality leader, very hard worker, and skilled at leading young people.
“He definitely stood out from the crowd,” Haselman said, noting that Rupp’s young age isn’t a detriment. “I believe good quality leaders are good quality leaders.”
Also hired by the board Tuesday evening were:
- Shelby House to teach high school English.
- Angela Strickland to teach second grade at Crim Elementary.
- Molly Barnhart as a counselor at the middle school.
- Mackenzie Kuehn to teach third grade at Crim Elementary.
- Sabrina Egli, who is moving from reading specialist to fourth grade teacher at Crim Elementary.
Resignations were accepted from Amanda Grzecki, middle school intervention specialist; Adam Jarvis, high school English; Rachel Fletcher, Crim second grade; Morgan Strausbaugh, middle school counselor; and Michelle Crider, Crim third grade.
Also at the board meeting, Haselman reported about the school district’s heightened communication efforts with the community.
“We want to be as transparent as possible,” he said.
In addition to an increased presence on social media, sharing good news about students and the district, Bowling Green City Schools is working on an e-newsletter to be sent to every home in the district that requests the information.
“We’re very excited to be able to provide that,” Haselman said.
So far, approximately 3,500 people have signed up for the twice a month emails.
The first e-newsletter will come out on Friday.
“You do not want to miss it,” Haselman said.
To subscribe, visit the Bowling Green City Schools website at www.bgcs.k12.oh.us and click the “Email Newsletter” button at the top. If you use a mobile phone, tap the menu in the top right corner and select “Email Newsletter.”
In other business at Tuesday’s meeting, the board:
- Approved a memorandum of understanding with the Wood County Educational Service Center for general education instruction and intervention specialist tutoring for students placed in the Wood County Juvenile Detention Center.
- Accepted donations totaling $2,600 for the high school boys basketball program, high school track and field, and Jr. Bobcat Basics program.
- Approved a nine-day student trip request for BGHS science department students to travel to Costa Rica during the summer of 2026. The trip request was approved so far in advance to give students time to raise funds for the experience.
