Wentworth replaces Wentworth at Indian Valley

Amy Wentworth, superintendent of New Philadelphia City Schools, will return to her alma mater, Indian Valley Local Schools, to lead the district beginning this summer.

At a special meeting of the Indian Valley Board of Education Jan. 29, the board voted unanimously to give her a three-year contract beginning Aug. 1. She will earn $145,000 annually.

She is the wife of the current Indian Valley superintendent, Ira Wentworth, who is retiring at the end of the 2025-2026 school year. He has been superintendent since 2013.

Following the vote, board President Bob Hall said, “I would like to say welcome. We are so blessed to have you. We're excited. It's just hard to express knowing we can hit the ground, keep moving and keep the ship steadily proceeding forward. You're a class lady. We're just blessed to have you.”

“I am blessed to be here,” she responded. “It's so good to come home, and I will give it my all and serve this community to the best of my ability.”

Amy Wentworth graduated from high school in 1989. She was co-valedictorian of the first graduating class of Indian Valley High School following the consolidation of Indian Valley North and Indian Valley South during the 1988–1989 school year.

She has been superintendent of New Philadelphia City Schools since 2021. Previously, she served six years as assistant superintendent.

Her career also includes two years as a middle school principal, two years as an elementary principal and nine years of classroom teaching.

Hall said the district originally had nine candidates for the top job at Indian Valley. District officials set up interviews for five of those people, but one dropped out the day before the interview was scheduled.

“We had some great candidates,” he said. “Amy just stepped out among the crowd. She's a homegrown girl. We know she cares about Indian Valley. We know her heart, and she has the desire to lead this school district forward, and that's what we're looking for.”

He also addressed concerns about the district hiring the wife of the current superintendent.

“First and foremost, Mr. Wentworth never had anything to do with this process whatsoever. Randy Lucas at the ESC (superintendent of the East Central Ohio Educational Service Center in New Philadelphia) set everything up. He made the contacts. He did the questions. Ira was never on email lists, any text messages, nothing,” Hall said.

“As far as her being his wife, I don't care who you're married to. We hired the best person. At the end of the day, all we're looking for is the best person for our kids.”

Amy Wentworth said she was thrilled by the opportunity to return to Indian Valley.

“This is my alma mater. I've always wanted to serve this district,” she said. “To have this opportunity now toward the end of my career is just really a blessing. I'm excited to get into the district. I've got a job to do still this spring. New Philadelphia deserves my best, and they will get it until it's time to start here. But when it's time to start here, then I will be fully on board.”

New Philadelphia has a 1.5% earned income tax on the May 5 primary ballot to build new schools in the community. Voters in the district have rejected four bond issues for the project in recent years.

Wentworth noted that her husband will not be sitting around doing nothing in retirement. He is exploring some opportunities.

“He's not someone to pull out the rocking chair and sit around all day. So, I don't know what that will look like, but we'll figure that out,” she said.