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Sycamore Welcomes New Administrators To Montgomery and Sycamore Junior High
Sycamore Community Schools is excited to welcome two new administrators for the 2019-2020 school year.
The Board of Education approved Dr. Amy Debelak as the new principal of Montgomery Elementary School during the March 13 meeting.
Debelak is currently the assistant principal at Montgomery Elementary and is entering her 20th year in education. She replaces Mrs. Linda Overbeck who is retiring after 42 years in education at the end of the school year.
“I am thrilled that Dr. Debelak will become the next principal,” said Overbeck. “She is an exceptional educational leader who is a positive communicator and collaborator with staff and parents and most importantly always keeps the students as the focus of all decisions.”
Debelak has spent the last 13 years serving student and families at Montgomery Elementary as the assistant principal and an intervention specialist. Prior to coming to Sycamore Schools, she taught special education at schools in New Jersey. Debelak received her Doctorate in 2017 from the University of Cincinnati where she also has served as an adjunct professor.
A committee of staff, parents, and district administrators thoroughly vetted all the candidates who applied for the position.
“After an extensive search and interview process, Dr. Debelak emerged as the right leader at the right time for Montgomery Elementary,” said Frank A. Forsthoefel, superintendent. “Her deep understanding of instructional strategies and genuine passion for ensuring every child reaches his/her full potential makes her the perfect choice for an already great school.”
The search for a new assistant principal at Montgomery Elementary will begin immediately.
The Board also approved Andrew King as the new assistant principal at Sycamore Junior High School.
King will bring 23 years of education experience when he joins the junior high administrative team at the start of the 2019-2020 school year. He has served as a guidance counselor at Lebanon Junior High School and Berry Middle School since 2001. He has also been the Dean of Athletics at Lebanon Junior High since 2016. Prior to working with students and families in Lebanon, King served as a special education teacher at Warner Middle School in Xenia, Ohio for five years.
“The junior high staff is excited for the energy Andy will bring to our school and the students we serve,” said Dr. Traci Rea, Sycamore Junior High School principal.
King received his Master’s in School Leadership in 2018 from Concordia University. He also has a Master’s in School Counseling from the University of Dayton and a Bachelor’s in Special Education from Wright State University.
King’s selection ends a year-long search for a replacement for George Sturgeon, who resigned in Summer 2018. Andy Winkle and Ron Brooks split the interim role this year while the administration searched for a permanent replacement. King will join Dr. Rea and Misty Belfrom, who will be entering her second year as assistant principal.
“Our interview committee had a difficult decision because we had several great candidates,” said Dr. Rea. “Andy’s education and experience with adolescent learners set him apart.”
King’s first day with Sycamore will be July 22.
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