Lillith Dunn
eSomethin staff
You wake up in the morning, immediately jumping out of bed to look out the window. The ground is covered in snow. With minutes left before the 6:00 AM snow day deadline, you wait anxiously for whoever is in charge to make their call. Enter Michael Acomb.
After Tom Hosler’s departure from his role as superintendent in 2025, a large hole was left in his absence, which was briefly filled by Dr. Kadee Anstadt as an interim. Now, Acomb begins the school year as Perrysburg’s superintendent.
Although this is his first time working in Perrysburg, Acomb has a deep background in education. He began his undergraduate degree at John Carroll, but later dropped out from the program.
“At that time, I was young. I wanted to be sure that the track I was on was the track I needed to be on,” Acomb explained.
After taking a three semester break, Acomb returned to John Carroll to finish his degree. He then earned a master’s degree in education from Kent State, and began a PhD in education administration.
Acomb spent 30 years in Solon City Schools where he briefly worked as a third grade teacher. He would also work as a elementary and middle school principal, a teacher leader, and in administration.
Acomb summarized his role as teacher leader, saying, “I would write the curriculum with teachers, and then I would coach teachers on how to implement that curriculum and also how to use computers effectively.”
Then, in 2026, Acomb was hired as Perrysburg’s full-time superintendent. For him, the move made sense.
“Perrysburg has a reputation for being a premier school district. . . . I feel like the experience that I have had in helping develop the Solon City Schools will be really valuable in Perrysburg.”
Right now, he spends most of his time listening to people from the district to learn as much as he can to be successful. This is no easy feat. Acomb said that he tries to start his day at one of Perrysburg’s schools, then holds various appointments with district employees, among other stakeholders.
“We also have an opportunity for members of the community to make an appointment with me as well, so that they can come in and I can ask some questions,” Acomb stated.
When it comes to long-term goals for Perrysburg, the new superintendent has one major task in mind.
He explained that, “we have lots of great work and achievements that happen in the school district. They’re like these beautiful squares of quilt work. My goal is to develop a comprehensive plan with the district, the community, and the board to stitch all of that great work together into one beautiful quilt.”
Apart from uniting the best parts of the district, Acomb has another important job. As students wait anxiously for a day off on every snowy morning, he is the one deciding their fate. So, what does Acomb think about snow days?
“From an educator standpoint, I believe students should be in school. . . . That said, safety is number one. I would never put students in an unsafe position to drive or be transported to school,” he explained.
Acomb added that it would take a while to “calibrate” what is too much snow in Perrysburg after spending so many years in snowy Cleveland.
Acomb emphasized that he sees himself as a normal person who hopes to improve the district by listening and learning.
“I’m just a regular guy who likes working with kids and believes in doing what’s best for kids,” Acomb concluded.
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