as we continue our dialog on leadership here on this Business Life.

360.

My guest is a superintend of Ottawa Hills schools, Adam Fennessy, who is going to be talking with us about all things tied to a top tiered, top ranked school, not only in the region and the state, but also in the nation.

So Adam PINSKY joins us now.

Adam, it's great to have you here.

Adam Fineske: Great to be here.

Kristi K: Adam, tell us more about Ottawa Hill schools and this wonderful system that you've been the superintendent of in been the leader for over the last four years.

Adam Fineske: Sure.

You know, I am so thankful and really grateful to be able to be the leader of such an outstanding school district.

I think we're really special.

You know, we have a formula that I talk a lot about, and the formula has really four parts.

We have top notch teachers.

We hire the best, we compensate them well, and we have high expectations of them.

We have parents that make educate in the top priority at home.

We have kids who come to school ready to learn.

Craving, learning.

And and then we have a community that really centers itself around the school district.

The school district is the center of the community.

There's not much more here other than homes and the schools.

So that's unique.

Kristi K: Now, we talked a little bit in my intro about the rankings for the school district.

This is no small feat.

This takes a village to make sure that every year consistently, you are meeting those standards.

Tell us more about some of those rankings and some of those statistics that that the school system has.

Has one has been awarded, has earned.

Adam Fineske: Definitely earned.

It is not easy.

You know, it's hard work.

I give the credit to our teachers who are in the trenches, in the classrooms, working hard each and every day for our kids.

Kristi K: We can't say enough about our teachers.

Adam Fineske: I mean, we just have so many amazing teachers.

And, you know, the formula to go back to the formula little bit about when you have parents at home that say, hey, schools, number one, no matter what, that's going to that's going to really help the kids come ready to learn because they know that's expected at home.

And that formula has turned into exciting news for us in the rankings.

Currently, we are the number one school district in Northwest Ohio by far, all across northwest Ohio.

We consistently rank in the top ten districts in the state of Ohio, which is over 600 districts, and that's public school districts.

And then we are in the top 1% in the nation of all public school districts across the United States.

We rank in the top 1%.

Kristi K: Well, and, you know, to that point, there is this total package of success, I'll call it.

And you're really talking about things like academic performance, athletic performance clubs, opportunities for students to get involved and to really thrive in whatever their interests are.

How much does that play into the success of a region and a school system?

Adam Fineske: Yeah, you know, it's it's almost an expectation here with our teachers, with our coaches, our advisors that our kids want to do it all.

And it's hard to do that.

Most school districts that can be challenging to be on the football field and also in the marching band as well as the lead in the play and then in the chess club that happens in Ottawa Hills.

And the flexibility is there for our kids to do it all.

And you'll see our kids, you know, a football player making a touchdown and then the halftime bell rings and all of a sudden they're playing the two by in the marching band.

You love it.

You don't see that a lot in schools.

You see that here.

And we're so proud.

And I think it's important that our kids can have that variety of experiences that they need to be successful.

Kristi K: Now, as you talk about, you were superintendent of a top tiered, very well-respected school system.

Tell us about what it takes to be a superintendent today in terms of skill sets, in terms of some of your responsibilities, what does your job look like and and what really do you see as some of your your core leadership skills that are coming forth every day?

Adam Fineske: Yeah.

So I think it takes a lot of flexibility, willingness to listen and make sure that all voices are heard.

And that can be challenging for leaders, especially those who are trained, and they feel like they know what they're doing.

But everyday changes.

I think you have to really look at your community and make sure that you are collaborative and that you're involving everyone at the table when you're making big decisions, whether it be financial decisions, whether it be decisions about, you know, building schools or building a new school or adding on to a school, you have to have every voice at the table and you have to be willing as a leader to kind of step back and be okay with a group making a decision.

And maybe it's not just you doing that.

You may be a little vulnerable there, but it's okay.

And in the end, if that if that works and people are heard and even if they don't get what they want, if they're heard, that usually goes a lot better.

And success can happen from it.

And that's what I found through through my years of experience.

Kristi K: Collaboration, consensus building.

Yeah.

Really livability and flexibility.

Adam Fineske: Being a good listener and realizing that you have a lot of good folks around you and they should all have a say and and be at the table when you're making decisions.

It doesn't all have to come from you.

You know, be open to listening and letting other people be part of that leadership.

Kristi K: As we look forward, what are some of the future initiatives that you see to address current issues.

Adam Fineske: Over the past four years?

We have added 160 more students than we had four years ago.

Kristi K: No kidding.

Adam Fineske: That's two graduating classes in Ottawa Hills.

Graduating classes are about 80 to 85 students.

So think about two more graduating classes in our school buildings today than four years ago.

Great.

But also comes with challenges.

We have to hire more teachers.

We have to make sure that we have the space.

We are known for very low class sizes, and that's why folks move here.

So in order to do that, we again have to hire more and that comes with expenses.

So it's, you know, that challenge has been there.

But, you know, we are excited about that challenge.

So where we're headed with that growth is updating our facilities and building better facilities that match the way students are learning.

Coming out of the pandemic, which is different.

So we've opened a new facility called the Foundry at the Junior Senior High.

It is a true hub of learning in a different way than we've ever taught and expose students to learning in this district before.

And it's super exciting.

And then this summer, we're actually updating the elementary school.

The Ottawa Hill Schools Foundation is funding a renovation of our library media center into something called the Wondery, where you go to wonder, and it's almost the same theme as the foundry at the high school happening at the elementary school with intervention, support, enrichment, literacy, steam, all in one new space that opens in August to our Niedermayer Stadium.

Got new turf, which has been great.

It's really helped with as many sports as we have for a small district.

Do some improvements to the baseball stadium over grassy field.

And a couple of years ago we built a new fitness center that is just outstanding, the Cadence Family Fitness Center and now is open for kids throughout the day after school and also for the community to come in.

And it's really focused on wellness and community wellness.

It's been a great addition to the school and the community loves it as well.

Not only the kids because they're able to go there and use it.

Kristi K: So for sure.

Dr. Adam for Netscape, best of luck to you.

Thank you for sharing your leadership, your candor, your insight with us today.

We really appreciate all you do for students, for teachers, for administrators.

Adam Fineske: To be here.

So thank.

Kristi K: You.

Thank you.

Yeah.