Serving Lucas, Ottawa, Sandusky and Wood Counties
Eastwood superintendent Brian Hughes, who officially took over in August, shared some important changes with the school’s community via email on Dec. 17.
“As we approach the end of the final week of school before Christmas break, I want to take a moment to reflect, share updates, and thank our Eastwood community for your continued support throughout the first half of the school year,” he said. “Back in August, in my opening letter, I shared that “I’m grateful for the opportunity to return to the district — this time, to listen, to learn, and to lead.”
“Over the past several months, I have had the opportunity to do just that. I have spent time in our buildings, in classrooms, and in conversation with staff, students, families, and community members, learning more about what makes Eastwood special and where we can continue to grow.”
With that, Hughes said conversations were had about better ways to support the staff and students, beginning with the structure of the leadership team. Thus, an opportunity to strengthen the alignment and effectiveness of two key administrative roles were identified — Director of Student Services/Curriculum/Preschool and Director of Human Resources.
Hughes said those two positions will now be titled Assistant Superintendent and Director of Student Services & Preschool.
The assistant superintendent position, which replaces the director of human resources role, is not an additional administrative position. It will focus on leadership in curriculum, personnel, and professional development.
“We are confident that these adjustments will strengthen our leadership structure and continue to move the district forward,” Hughes said.
Hughes also addressed the retirements or resignations of four people at the Dec. 15 board of education meeting.
“Together, these transitions represent decades of dedicated service to our students, staff, and community,” Hughes said. “We are grateful for the positive impact each of these individuals has made on our schools.”
Jody Eaton, the high school secretary, is retiring effective July 2, 2026. Gary Gardner, the director of human resources, is retiring effective June 5, 2026. Dwight Fertig, the middle school principal, is retiring effective Feb. 22, 2026. Jodi Zunk, the middle school’s assistant principal, is resigning effective Jan. 2, 2026.
The district intends to rehire Fertig at the February board of education meeting so that he may continue serving as middle school principal, ensuring continuity in leadership through the end of the 2025–26 school year.
Hughes said, in order to maintain continued support for students, staff, and building operations during the second half of the school year, that the district plans to add an interim middle school assistant principal.
“Our goal is to have this individual in place when students return from winter break,” he said.
The district will conduct a full search to hire a new middle school principal and a new middle school assistant principal, with the new hires beginning at the start of the 2026–27 school year. The search process for these positions will begin in early 2026. The assistant superintendent position is already posted, and the search for the high school secretary position will begin in early 2026.
As part of the district’s ongoing facilities planning process, the Board also heard presentations from four architectural firms outlining their services for a master planning project focused on exploring potential new middle school and high school facilities.
“This step represents the continuation of the process to determine how to best meet the district’s future facility needs,” Hughes said. “After careful consideration and discussion, the Board voted to enter into a contract with Garmann Miller. The initial phase of work with Garmann Miller will allow the district to make informed decisions before committing to detailed architectural plans or construction. The focus is on understanding needs, options, and implications by assessing current facilities, exploring design options, and developing a clear plan that includes cost estimates, visual concepts, and a timeline.”
Hughes also said the district is committed to honoring the feedback shared by community members during the Facilities Task Force meetings held throughout 2023 and 2024.
“This is an exciting opportunity to collaboratively envision facilities that will support and inspire Eastwood students, staff, and families for years to come,” he said.
In his email, Hughes also shared several answers to questions about the changes, most of which were at least in some way previously addressed in the letter. The main one was the question of why are there several administrative changes happening at the same time?
“The recent resignations and retirements represent transitions by individuals who have served Eastwood for many years,” Hughes said. “While the timing overlaps, these decisions were made independently.”
