Josh Kauffman, a teacher and athletic director at Pandora-Gilboa from 2012 to 2014, accepted a two-year contract as the new principal of Bluffton Middle School, according to Greg Denecker, Bluffton superintendent.

Currently middle school principal at Piqua City Schools – a position he served for the past three years – Kauffman will begin his position here on Aug. 1. His salary at Bluffton is $89,000.

His undergrad degree is from Ohio State in 2005. He holds a bachelor’s plus: middle childhood education license from Urbana University, received in 2007. Kauffman’s master’s in education degree is from the University of Dayton, received in 2014.

At Piqua he implemented Positive Behavior Interventions and Support program (PBIS) Tier I, II and III building-wide, which earned bronze, silver and gold state recognitions in 2017, 2018 and 2019.

Piqua Middle School also earned the state Momentum Award with straight A’s on all Value-Added sub-categories on the Ohio AIR tests in 2017 and 2018.

He and his wife, Bethany, are parents of three children, Evelyn, 5, who will enter Kindergarten in the fall, and twins, Emerson and Ezekiel, who will be 3 in August.

Kauffman replaces Kyle Leatherman, middle school principal since 2013. Leatherman has accepted a middle school principal positiion at Liberty Benton.