This spring’s busy superintendent hiring season is giving the next generation of superintendents their first chance to run their own districts.
Gina Pleak was chosen unanimously as the next superintendent of Indiana’s New Palestine Community Schools. Pleak, a former elementary school teacher, is now an assistant superintendent in the Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation and was a principal in Shelby Eastern Schools.
Jon Chancelor has been promoted from director of operations to superintendent of Covington County Schools in Mississippi. Chancelor has been a social studies teacher, assistant principal, athletic director and principal, and has also worked in the Lamar County School District.
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Justin Ainsworth is headed from Alaska to the lower 48 for his first superintendency. Ainsworth, the associate superintendent in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District in Alaska, was selected to lead North Thurston Public Schools in Washington. The Port Washington-Saukville School District in Wisconsin has chosen as its next leader, Michael McMahon, the director of teaching and learning in the Grafton School District.
The Rains Independent School District named Joe Nicks as its lone finalist for superintendent. Nicks is the current assistant superintendent of academics at Kaufman ISD. In New York, Gregory Stowell was appointed superintendent of the Garrison Union Free School District. Stowell is now assistant superintendent for pupil, personnel and educational services at the Mahopac Central School District and was previously an administrator in the Byram Hills Central School District.
Superintendents on the move
A number of current superintendents are relocating this hiring season. Superintendent Joseph A. Bradley will become the next leader of the Spring Grove Area School District in Pennsylvania. Bradley begins his new role on July 1 after serving as superintendent of the Connellsville Area School District and the Purchase Line School District.
In the same state, the Bellefonte Area School District has chosen its next leader, Roy Rakszawski, who has been superintendent of the Edgewater Park Township School District in New Jersey for 11 years. He was named the Burlington County Superintendent of the Year in 2021.
Scott Collins takes the helm of MSD of Decatur Township in Indiana on July 1 after leading the Fayette County School Corporation for eight years. In Fayette County, Collins managed multiple construction and renovation projects, opened an early learning center, and created an alternative school high school, MSD of Decatur Township notes.
In Texas, Lufkin ISD picked James Hockenberry as its next superintendent. Hockenberry is currently Longview ISD’s assistant superintendent for district services and served 14 years as superintendent of two districts, Center ISD and Chireno ISD.
More new hires:
- Ruben Aurelio, Vallejo City Unified School District (California)
- Charles Broughton, Daviess County Public Schools (Kentucky)
- Delores Fox, SAU 23 (New Hampshire)
- Chris Hodges, Bath Community Schools (Michigan)
- David Hoeger, Southwestern School District (Wisconsin)
- Brett Knight, Pauls Valley Public Schools (Oklahoma)
- Michael C. Melton, Lewis County Schools (Kentucky)
- Chad Phillips, Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation (Indiana)
