AllentownSchool District

Superintendent Search

ASD Board to Vote on New Superintendent Agreement Thursday Evening

The Allentown Board of School Directors is pleased to share that an offer has been extended to Dr. John D. Stanford to be the next Superintendent of the Allentown School District! The board is expected to vote on the employment agreement as a part of the Regular Board Meeting on Thursday, September 23, 2021. 

Dr. John D. Stanford is a dedicated public servant with over 20 years of public education, nonprofit, and public policy service. Fifteen of those years are in service to the staff, students, and families of Columbus City Schools, Ohio's largest school district. Dr. Stanford currently serves as Chief Officer, Strategic Performance, for the district. He had previously served as interim superintendent (2018-19), deputy superintendent and chief operating officer for Columbus City Schools. 


“In Dr. Stanford, we are confident we have found an exceptional candidate who possesses the right combination of skills, experience and background to lead the Allentown School District well into the future,” said Nancy Wilt, Board President. “We look forward to welcoming Dr. Stanford on board and introducing him to our school district community. We would like to thank our parents, staff, students and community members for their input and feedback as we have engaged in this important process.”


The board selected Dr. Stanford using a comprehensive search process led by Hazard Young Attea and Associates (HYA). This included focus groups that HYA conducted with staff members, community members, families, elected officials, and students. The focus groups led to the creation of a leadership profile used to identify potential candidates who met the criteria the community identified.


Over the past several months, HYA reviewed all incoming applications and ensured they met the criteria of the leadership profile. HYA then conducted initial interviews, vetted the candidates, and contacted references before presenting potential candidates to the search committee. 


The committee narrowed the field to six individuals, who were interviewed by a majority of the board on August 21. The board then further narrowed the field to the three finalists, who were interviewed on August 28.


In addition to his service with Columbus City Schools, Dr. Stanford also served as Executive Assistant for Education Policy to Ohio Governor Ted Strickland from 2007 to 2011. Previously, with the Ohio School Boards Association, he had served as Deputy Director for Legislative Services, the Deputy Director for Research Services, the Urban Commission's Staff Coordinator, and the Director of the Education Information Center. Dr. Stanford’s career also includes service in higher education as an Assistant Professor and faculty member at The Ohio State University’s John Glenn College of Public Affairs, and as an Adjunct Professor with the John Glenn College and the university's College of Education and Human Ecology.


Dr. Stanford will begin serving as superintendent on or before November 15. In the interim, Jennifer Ramos will continue to serve as the district’s acting superintendent. More information will be shared with our community after the Thursday meeting. 


Archived Superintendent Search Updates: