NILES - Retired Liberty Local Schools Superintendent Mark Lucas has been hired as an assistant principal at Niles McKinley High School.
Lucas brings more than 30 years of experience as an educator - nearly 20 as a principal and three as a superintendent - into the position.
Lucas spent the majority of his career in the Liberty School District. He retired at the end of the 2009-10 school year.
"I knew I wanted to do something," Lucas said.
The Board of Education at their September meeting approved a one-year administrative contract through July 31, 2011 for Lucas.
During the summer, Lucas took an educational seminar while trying to decide on his future.
Niles Superintendent Rocco Adduci said he is pleased the district has been able to find someone who has had such a successful career in education to come to the district in such a short period.
"He has experience in teaching, in working as an administrator and has worked on building construction projects," Adduci said. "We are hoping he may stay maybe two years."
As assistant principal, Lucas will be doing a little bit of everything in the school, Adduci said.
Lucas will be assisting new Niles McKinley High School Principal Scott Libert, who was the school's assistant principal before receiving a promotion last month.
Libert replaced former McKinley High Principal Michael Notar, who left the district to take a business manager job in the Warren City Schools District.
This is Libert's first principal position.
When he promoted Libert, Adduci said he wanted to hire an experienced administrator to work with him.