After a brief search beginning earlier this year, Fairbanks has found its new high school principal.
At the March board of education meeting, school officials voted to confirm the recommendation of Jerry Obney as the new principal at Fairbanks High School.
Superintendent Adham Schirg announced the position in a letter to the community last week but the vote Monday night made it official.
A committee of 29 parents, students, staff and administrators was formed and looked at 14 individuals before three were selected for interviews, Schirg said.
“The committee provided feedback and recommendations on the candidates,” he said. “Based on overwhelming support of the committee, we are pleased to announce Mr. Jerry Obney has accepted our offer to be the next principal of Fairbanks High School.”
Obney has been in the Dublin Jerome school district for the last eight years. He also spent two years at Madison Junior High School, teaching science, three years at Celebration High School in Florida as a Biology and Environmental Science teacher and coached both baseball and wrestling.
He also taught at Thomas Worthington High School.
Obney has a bachelor of science degree from Ashland University and a master of education from Stetson University in DeLand, Florida.
Schirg included comments from parents and staff members that said Obney “would be a good fit for Fairbanks culture” and “felt approachable and put an emphasis on (the district’s) history.”
Board member Brian Phelps, who wasn’t present at the meeting, sent a letter that was read by officials.
“I am excited to see the value that you can add to our high school as well as our entire community,” he said in the letter. “Mrs. Chapman has done a tremendous job with the direction of the high school and from how well you were received from our parents, staff and, most importantly, our students throughout the interview process, I am confident that our future is bright.”
Obney said he’s thrilled at the opportunity to come to Fairbanks.
“Through the process, there’s one thing that was very, very much much enlightened and got me really excited about this school and that is how welcoming and genuine the people at Fairbanks have been through this process whether it be the students, the staff or the community, it just felt like a natural fit, it felt very comfortable,” he said. “In the interview process, I knew it was a good match for me and I was hoping to hear it was a good match for the committee. So, when Mr. Schirg was able to share that information with me, I was beyond thrilled. So I just wanted to thank you for the opportunity.
Fairbanks filled the position after a two-month search.
In January, the district posted the job opening after the previous principal Janel Chapman moved into the position of chief academic officer.
That role was created and posted at the start of 2024 as well as a way to combine the responsibilities of the director of curriculum and director of special services.
Schirg said at the time that Chapman had obtained her superintendent’s license, something the district was supportive of her doing.
“I want to extend my gratitude first to Mrs. Chapman for her service to our school and look forward to seeing her work as the district’s chief academic officer. I also want to thank our interview committee for their commitment and service to our district through this process,” Schirg said in his letter to the community. “We are excited to welcome Mr. Obney to Fairbanks Local Schools.”
Schirg said Obney still have obligations to full at Dublin but will begin the transition process in the coming weeks.