Southern Local Schools welcome new principals at high school, junior high
Jess Krulik and Jordan Wrask step into leadership roles, focusing on project-based learning and student engagement
Southern Local Jr./Sr. High School has familiar faces at the helm this year as Jordan Wrask, left, stepped up from elementary assistant principal to lead the junior high. Jess Krulik, right, served as assistant principal in the junior/senior high building but now heads the senior high on his own. Both have plans in place to target instruction and attendance.
Submitted
As Southern Local Schools resumed Sept. 2, some students noticed familiar faces in new leadership positions. Jess Krulik has stepped into the role of principal at Southern Local Sr. High School, while Jordan Wrask is now serving as principal at the junior high.
Krulik has spent the past 16 years as a teacher and three years as assistant principal in the high school building. Wrask has been at Southern for three years, including two as assistant principal at Southern Local Elementary. Both said their familiarity with their schools and students has made the transition easier, and they were eager to begin the year on a positive note.
“The whole office has a new staff with Kenadee Pezzano as the sole school counselor, Jordan moving up and two new secretaries,” Krulik said. “We had actually planned this move last year and we’re set up.”
Krulik said his time working alongside former Principal Rich Wright helped prepare him for the role. “I took care of academics and he took care of attendance, then we divided the discipline. I’ve been working on attendance and Superintendent Tom Cunningham has shown me the ropes and helped me out a lot,” he said.
Wrask said he is ready to lead the junior high. “This is more my realm. I had taught sixth grade and high school, so this age group is more my level,” he said. “I can bounce a lot of my ideas off of Jess and we can really make things our own and use our vision so it’s a fresh start.”
The pair said they are focusing on project-based learning and opportunities for students to explore potential career pathways. Wrask cited a survey she conducted with students at the end of last year, which showed support for more hands-on learning. Krulik noted that the high school is embedding career-technical education into core classes, with sophomores earning CPR certification through science courses and students in grades seven through 12 gaining exposure to career pathways.
Enrollment has grown steadily, with Krulik estimating about one new student per day throughout August. Sixth-grade numbers alone increased from 59 to 66. He added that interest is also rising in the district’s Indian Academy online hybrid program.
Wrask highlighted new partnerships aimed at addressing attendance, including programs with the Ohio State University Extension Office, Columbiana County Juvenile Court and the Cleveland Browns’ Stay in the Game initiative. “All schools are facing attendance issues,” she said. “It’s important to be proactive and not reactive about approaches.”
Other adjustments include a new combined lunch schedule, giving students time for intramural sports, academic work and activities. Krulik said the model has been successful at the junior high and is being extended to the high school this year.
Officials are also creating a principals’ advisory council to give students a greater voice in school decisions. “I want to see the students take more ownership in what happens here,” Wrask said.
Krulik said the transition has gone smoothly and expressed optimism for the year ahead. “Jordan and I are working together, and it’s cohabitational but fundamentally solid. We’re very prepared,” he said.
