Edison High School Assistant Principal Josh Leasure

RICHMOND — Edison High School Assistant Principal Josh Leasure has gained distinction as Zone 8 High School Assistant Principal of the Year through the Ohio Association of Secondary School Administrators (OASSA).

Leasure, who has served at Edison for the past 10 years, was nominated for the honor. Submissions are generally made by students, staff members, administrators and colleagues. The OASSA Board of Directors, under the leadership of its 10 zone directors, received nominations this spring and named awardees for middle school and high school principal and assistant principal of the year within each area. He is now a finalist in the state-level process, and the OASSA board will select four overall recipients to represent Ohio later this year. Meanwhile, all zone winners will be recognized at the OASSA Fall Conference in Columbus this October.

Leasure was thankful for the honor but said it was not a lone effort.

“Awards like this are humbling, but they really aren’t about one person,” he said. “Edison High School is great because of the administrators, teachers, staff and students who do their jobs every day and care about each other. Any recognition I receive is really a reflection of the people around me and the culture we’ve built together.”

The Steubenville native earned his bachelor’s degree in history and political science at Mount Union University, with a master’s degree in education from Franciscan University. He taught social studies for five years and special education for two years at Buckeye Local, Harrison and Edison high schools and, along with Principal Matt Morrison, is responsible for helping to oversee roughly 600 pupils in grades 7-12.

Morrison applauded Leasure for his achievement and said it was well-deserved.

“He has been doing a wonderful job for years,” he continued. “He has developed a great relationship with the students and staff and he’s dependable, loyal and loves to laugh. He does an outstanding job and the Edison Local School District is very fortunate to have him.”

Superintendent Bill Beattie agreed with those sentiments.

“We’re glad to have him at Edison Local Schools,” Beattie said. “He’s done a fantastic job of having a relationship with the students over the years, which has made his and the staff’s job easier based on the trust he’s had with the kids.”

OASSA is a professional organization dedicated to supporting and advancing the work of high school principals, assistant principals and other school administrators in Ohio. Its mission is to advocate for and support the welfare of its members by providing high standards of leadership through consultation and professional development, political astuteness and legislative influence, positive public relations, curricular initiatives and collaboration with related organizations. The association works to improve educational leadership, promote effective school management and strengthen the role of principals in Ohio’s public education system. Additionally, Zone 8 encompasses nine counties, including Jefferson, Harrison, Belmont, Carroll, Tuscarawas, Stark, Wayne, Holmes and Coshocton.