CJ Sprang tabbed as new Hiland High and Middle School principal
CJ Sprang was recently named the new principal at Hiland High and Middle School. Sprang will replace outgoing principal Matt Johnson, who has been at Hiland for more than a quarter of a century.
CJ Sprang works with students in Kathy Hagerman's reading class at Chestnut Ridge Elementary. Sprang is currently the director of student services in East Holmes School District and will do double duty for the remainder of this year as he finishes his commitment to that role while learning on the job for his new role as principal.
Hiland High School’s board of education has their man, and the new face that will reside in the principal’s office at Hiland High and Middle School is a familiar one.
On Tuesday, April 17, the board tabbed CJ Sprang as the new principal. Sprang will take the place of Matt Johnson, longtime Hiland principal, who is retiring at the end of the 2017-18 school year.
“After an extensive search and interview process, it was clear that CJ was the best person to be the next leader at Hiland,” East Holmes School District Superintendent Erik Beun said. “CJ was approved unanimously at our board meeting this morning. He will begin his new duties Aug. 1, and until then he will continue in his role as director of student services. In addition, over the next couple of months, he will begin working closely with Matt Johnson and Scott Pringle in preparation for next year. We feel very good, very confident about the appointment.”
Beun said Sprang’s leadership abilities and the work ethic and commitment he has shown as a staff member were compelling reasons to tab him as the next principal. He noted that Sprang’s ability to connect with students, whether in the classroom or in the role of director of student services, has been exemplary, and he expects those same qualities to enrich his role as principal.
According to Beun, they had 16 applicants apply for the job, and that number was quickly whittled down to six. Those six interviewed, and three of them were called back for a second interview.
Beun said that throughout the search, the board was seeking for a person who fulfilled a number of criteria, and it wasn’t just one specific thing that brought Sprang to the forefront. He did say Sprang’s familiarity with the school district played a key role in him being named principal.
“We all felt very sure that CJ was the right person for the job,” Beun said. “We feel confident he will step in and seamlessly continue to uphold the educational standards we have here in East Holmes and at Hiland High and Middle School.”
Sprang is currently employed by East Holmes School District as director of student services. He did his undergraduate work at Akron University and received a degree in special education. He taught three years as an intervention specialist at Hiland before being named director of student services for the district. There, he oversaw special education for the entire district, which he did for the past three years.
Over the past six years he also has served several years as an assistant boys basketball coach for Mark Schlabach, for whom he played basketball at Loudonville High School.
Sprang said he is excited about the opportunity to pursue something he has dreamed of since he began pursuing a degree in education, and he said having moved into the area, it was essential for him to experience the East Holmes community and the school district firsthand.
“Hiland has a great community, great students and a great staff,” Sprang said. “I am excited to be a part of it and help kids prepare for college and their careers, whatever their paths might be. I feel like my time here at Hiland has prepared me well because I have gotten to see firsthand what an incredible community this is. There is such a commitment to academics, to extracurricular activities, and education in East Holmes is very important to our students and families.”
Sprang said that when he went to Akron University, he always felt in the back of his mind that his pursuits would one day land him as a principal somewhere, and now that dream has come to fruition.
Sprang said he is committed to continuing the strong academic and social aspects of Hiland High and Middle School and is eager to get started.
However, first and foremost he remains committed to the job at hand. “I want to make sure my current position in special education finishes the year strong because I have a commitment to fulfill,” Sprang said. “I want to have everything in place for the next person to come along and fill that position.”
Sprang said he is looking forward to learning the ropes as much as he can while finishing up his current duties. He will have plenty of opportunities to sit down with Johnson and assistant principal Scott Pringle and glean from their experience and wisdom when it comes to the job at hand.
“Matt has been great to work with,” Sprang said of Johnson. “His leadership and his ability to work with others to find the best solutions and his expertise have been very valuable in helping me to better understand what this next step entails.”
He said there is a great deal to learn as he moves throughout the rest of the school year and into the summer, but he is confident that working alongside Johnson, Pringle and guidance counselor Craig Hershberger will more than prepare him for the challenges to come.
Sprang said he believes his work ethic is perhaps the biggest asset he possesses as he approaches his new job.
“I have always tried to work as hard as I can, no matter what I was doing,” Sprang said. “Now I will turn my attention to working as hard as I can to support our staff and support our kids and do whatever needs to be done to make everyone successful.”
Beun said Pringle will be instrumental in the transition between principals, and his knowledge and expertise will be invaluable, not just as this year winds down, but also when the 2018-19 school year begins in August.
Beun said there are many processes and procedures that are routine for the current staff that Sprang will have to learn, and Pringle’s ability to help Sprang bridge that gap will be counted on heavily.
While the principal position is now taken care of, the other big role that will have to be filled is that of Hershberger, who also is stepping down after three decades.
Beun said the board wanted to get the new principal in place before tackling the guidance counselor job.
“We felt that the new principal would be extremely involved in the process of finding the next guidance counselor,” Beun said. “Those two people work so closely that it is imperative that we find a good fit, someone who understands our kids and their needs, who can relate to the kids well. That role is such a valuable resource for our students, and we wanted the new principal to be very involved in finding the right person for that role.”
As for Johnson, Beun said he has the utmost respect for the longtime teacher and principal who served East Holmes for so many years. He praised him for his leadership and commitment to serving both staff and students through care and compassion.
“You’re not going to replace years of experience like that overnight,” Beun said. “Matt's perspective on that has been so good. He realized at some point someone was going to take all of the positive things that are going on with the teachers and students and put their own stamp on it. Matt has always truly wanted what is best for Hiland and the community, and we are so appreciative of him.”