“It will depend on the candidate and when they’re available,” Cox said.
Laura Blessing, the current Miamisburg superintendent, recently accepted a job as chief talent officer for Mason schools. She will no longer be the superintendent of Miamisburg schools as of May 1, Cox said.
Superintendent contracts typically run from August 1 to July 31 of the next year, so Miamisburg would need to find an interim superintendent between May 1 and Aug. 1.
Blessing signed a five-year contract with the district in July 2023.
Blessing signed a 4-year contract when she was hired in 2020. Her annual base pay is $152,341, but that was set to increase to $156,149 this August.
Under the terms of the current contract, which runs from Aug. 1, 2024 through July 31, 2029, her base salary increased to $160,000 in August 2024. It was set to climb to $163,200 this August.
Blessing’s annual salary will be $166,704, according to Mason schools spokeswoman Tracey Carson.
Although Blessing’s official hire date is Aug. 1, she’ll be contracted for 90 days starting in March “to ensure a smooth transition,” Carson said.
She will replace Tonya McCall, a former Mason Middle School principal who was chief talent officer for eight years. McCall retired in December but will be providing part-time human resources assistance to Mason schools starting in March to help with the transition, Carson said.
Blessing has been an educator for 30 years, holding roles as a curriculum director, principal and elementary education teacher. She was a superintendent for the past 12 years, first at Northeastern Wayne Schools, a small district in Fountain City, Indiana, for seven years, then at Miamisburg City School District since 2020.