MONROE — School officials here stayed close to home with the selection of longtime Monroe resident Bob Leahy as high school principal Tuesday evening.

        Mr. Leahy is principal of Franklin High School in Warren County. Monroe Board of Education members hired him as the new high school principal next school year.

        “He has done some great things academically at the schools he has been at,” said Monroe School Board President Suzi Rubin, “and that is very important to us.”

        Ms. Rubin said that among the strengths Mr. Leahy brings is his nearly three decades of educational experience and his familiarity with Monroe, having lived there for 13 years.

        “He is already active in the community,” she said in reference to Mr. Leahy's history of coaching youth sports in the city.

        The job attracted 20 applicants, including nearby Edgewood High School Principal Randy Smith.

        Mr. Leahy, a former Madison High School principal, said he plans to continue Monroe's academic progress through “building programs and a good learning environment for the kids.”

        The 54-year-old principal will earn an annual salary of $84,500.

        Mr. Leahy's departure from Franklin Schools leaves that district with vacancies in both its high school and superintendent's positions. Franklin school officials expect to meet Thursday to discuss the possible hiring of Douglas Male, superintendent of Miami-Trace Local Schools in Fayette County.

        In other action, the school board also voted to renew the contracts of Tim Kellis, boys basketball coach, and Dave Farrish, girls basketball coach for next school year.

        Rapid turnover has given Lemon-Monroe four different boys basketball coaches in four years and three different girls' coaches in the same period.

        The board also voted to renew for two years the contract of Monroe Superintendent Arnol Elam, who will earn $92,400 annually.

        Ms. Rubin said Mr. Elam, who became superintendent two years ago when the Monroe district was created after splitting from Middletown schools, “has done a tremendous job through increasing proficiency test scores and working hard.”

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