Todd Meyer has been selected by the Olentangy Local School District to serve as its next superintendent following the retirement of Mark Raiff this summer. Meyer’s hire was approved by the Olentangy Schools Board of Education during a special meeting on Monday, and he will begin the role on June 1 while Raiff continues in an advisory capacity until July 31.

Meyer’s contract term is for 38 months and will carry a base salary of $215,000.

“I’m incredibly honored and humbled to be selected to serve as the next superintendent for Olentangy Schools,” Meyer said in a press release. “During my 16 years in the district, I have established many positive relationships, and I look forward to building on those relationships and working collaboratively with the school board, students, staff, parents, and community to strengthen the already established culture of excellence. Olentangy is a very special place, and I thank the Board of Education for entrusting me with the important mission of facilitating maximum learning for every student here at Olentangy. I can’t wait to get started.”

Meyer was announced as one of two finalists on May 4, and the Board of Education met on May 11 to hold a second round of interviews. Ultimately, Meyer’s extensive experience in the district, which includes a stint as principal at Olentangy Orange High School and his most recent role as the district’s chief operations officer, was too much to overlook.

Board of Education President Kevin O’Brien said of the hire, “Mr. Meyer’s depth and breadth of experience coupled with his passion for Olentangy were significant factors, and he has clearly demonstrated that he is ready to lead Olentangy. I am confident that he will foster continuity of the district’s already impressive academic track record while also introducing fresh ideas.”

Raiff said of his successor, “One of my goals has been to leave Olentangy in a better place from when I first assumed the role of superintendent eight years ago. Succession planning is vital in ensuring that Olentangy Schools remains a top-performing school district for our students, our families, our staff, and the health of Delaware County, the seven townships, and the four cities we serve. Mr. Meyer’s commitment to this district and the high standards he has for the teams he leads give me the utmost confidence that he will serve Olentangy well as superintendent.”

The district’s process for identifying its next superintendent was facilitated by the Educational Service Center (ESC) of Central Ohio and began by seeking community input on the characteristics it wanted to see in a candidate pool. Community engagement included focus groups with 190 participants, and 1,321 feedback responses were collected through a community survey. A total of 13 candidates applied for the position.

“I want to acknowledge and congratulate the ESC for running a really strong process that built a really good pool that ultimately ended up with the best candidate for Olentangy for the foreseeable future,” O’Brien said on Monday. “I feel really good about the process and I know the rest of the board members do as well.”

Reach Dillon Davis at 740-413-0904. Follow him on Twitter @DillonDavis56.