LOUDONVILLE — A new face will lead Loudonville-Perrysville Exempted Village Schools this academic year.
Jennifer Allerding, a Dover native and current Jeromesville resident, is set to take over as the district’s superintendent on Aug. 1. She has spent the last three years as the superintendent at Galion City Schools, following six years there in other leadership roles and previous stints at Massillon City Schools and Tuscarawas Valley Local Schools.
“We’re just excited to be here,” Allerding told a packed Loudonville High School cafeteria the evening of March 13, during the school board meeting where her hiring was made official. She stood next to her husband, Tim, and their son, Kaden, a soon-to-be student at the elementary school.
“I’m excited to help lead the teachers and the classified staff members, certified staff members and everyone in having a great year. I’m very much looking forward to building relationships, being out in the community, and having a great year next year,” she continued.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do now. I know you all have had a busy year. We have had a busy year at Galion. I’m excited to get the community in and get familiar with some things. (There are) a lot of great things happening here, and we just need to share that out.”
Allerding will take over for Catherine Puster, who is currently wrapping up her sixth year as Loudonville’s superintendent. Puster announced last November that she would be resigning following the 2022-23 school year, eventually citing pandemic-related exhaustion as the reason for her departure.
Puster’s relationship with the school board also seemed to falter during the last few years of her tenure, according to copies of her performance evaluations reviewed by Ashland Source. Board of Education President John Carroll said that had she not resigned, the school board likely would not have renewed her contract last December.
The district announced in late May that interim superintendent Kris Pipes-Perrone would serve alongside Puster for the remainder of her contract, to “allow Puster to focus on and finalize projects for the remainder of her contract while still having someone to help facilitate the transition to the next superintendent.”
Allerding’s contract with Galion ends July 31. She will assume the helm at Loudonville the next day.
Carroll said after the March 13 meeting that the new superintendent will have big shoes to fill.
“I think the new superintendent’s gonna have to build off of what Catherine has done,” Carroll said. “There’s a lot of things that she started here that the new superintendent will have to follow through on.”
Familiar territory
Loudonville began its superintendent search in February, Carroll said.
Allerding, who has lived in the Mohican Valley for a decade now with her husband, a Loudonville native, said it made sense to throw her hat in the ring.
“We have a great team here,” she said of the school district. “And I currently reside in the area, close to the district. So (this was an opportunity) just to be close to home and have more opportunities to spend time with family.”
Allerding and her family have developed a special bond with the Loudonville community in recent years as well, she noted. Her son has been diagnosed with brain cancer twice – and both times, she said, the village has shown up and made a difference with its support.
“Loudonville has a special place in my heart. …” Allerding said. “The community really rallied around our family (after the diagnoses), and it was really special.
“And so when the opening happened, it was a great opportunity for me to move back and to give back to a community that did so much for our family. It was pretty special to me, just because of everything they’ve done for us.”
Carroll said the district interviewed several candidates for the superintendent position, but Allerding’s conversation with the board on March 10 separated her from the pack.
“We interviewed Mrs. Allerding and we really liked what we saw. …” he said. “The board was unanimously impressed with the interview, with her qualifications, and we thought that she would make a good fit for the district.”
Allerding has experience in a wide range of educational positions. She taught history at Tuscarawas Valley High School for nine years before becoming the dean of students. Then, she went to Massillon Washington High School, where she served as an assistant principal before becoming the principal.
Allerding left nine years ago to go to Galion. She served as the middle school principal and director of instruction before becoming the district’s superintendent.
“We were impressed with the work that she’s done at Galion, and in discussing things with her and her ideas for the district,” Carroll said of Allerding.
“We were impressed with her accomplishments, both in communications at Galion and the initiatives that she started. She discussed also some safety and security initiatives that she has done over there. … That was also impressive.”
Allerding graduated from Dover High School before earning undergraduate and graduate degrees from Kent State University and Ashland University, respectively. She will head to Loudonville this fall with over 20 years of educational experience.
“She has a strong work ethic, from what we could see, and a confidence that we believe will suit her well here in the district,” Carroll said.
Top priorities
Allerding nearly choked up March 13, when asked after the board meeting about her time at Galion. She had just told the staff about her impending departure earlier that day.
“There’s a lot of people there that I love. …” she said. “(Today) was difficult.”
Allerding said she is most proud of the relationships she’s built there over the last nine years – and the educational outcomes those relationships have produced.
The district has also made advances in communication, safety and technology during that time, Allerding said, and she’s proud of that as well.
“And if you’re gonna talk about those things, you need to certainly mention that it’s not me, it’s our team,” Allerding said. “I’m surrounded by great people that make good things happen for kids. That’s the thing I’m most proud of, is all of them.”
Allerding said she will bring a similar focus to her work at Loudonville. She plans to prioritize communication, relationship-building and safety early on.
“I would definitely say that building relationships with staff, students, families and the community will be an area of focus,” Allerding said.
“Improving communication is another key area – it is important to me that we utilize various formats to communicate information out, demonstrate transparency, and build trust.
“Finally, the safety of our students and staff is another main area of focus and our number one priority. Assessing safety procedures, implementing safety features, and assessing our facilities will assist in determining how we move forward.”
Allerding’s hiring was approved by the school board on March 13. But she said the highlight of her day came hours earlier, when she was touring Loudonville’s campus.
The middle school band played a song for her, she said, and “it was amazing.” It brought her back to the reason she went into education in the first place.
“Any time that I get a chance to be in a classroom with kids, that’s a great day,” Allerding told the board. “Because that’s what I’m all about – I’m about kids, and I’m excited to work with the staff and community to make good things happen for our kids here at Loudonville-Perrysville.”
The first day of school for students in Loudonville-Perrysville Exempted Village Schools will be Aug. 21.
