A few days after Joe Gothard was named the 2024 Superintendent of the Year, he announced that he would be leaving St. Paul Public Schools in Minnesota to return to lead his hometown district, the Madison Metropolitan School District in neighboring Wisconsin. Gothard, who attended Madison schools from kindergarten through 12th grade, moves into the new post on July 1.
“I eagerly anticipate reconnecting with familiar faces while also building new relationships with staff, students, families, and partners who are dedicated to advancing MMSD’s excellence,” Gothard said in a statement. He served as superintendent of the Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District in Minnesota from 2013 to 2017 and was an assistant superintendent and principal in Madison from 2005 to 2013.
Gothard, who was named Minnesota’s superintendent of the year, appeared on the second episode of District Administration’s “Talking Out of School” podcast last month.
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Another longtime superintendent who is changing places is Craig Broeren, who will take the helm of the St. Croix Falls School District in Wisconsin after having led Wisconsin Rapids Public Schools for the past seven years. Broeren was also superintendent of Prairie Farm Schools and the Barron Area School District, both in Wisconsin, and was a science teacher and athletic director at St. Croix Falls.
In Indiana, the Hamilton Southeastern Schools has chosen Patrick Mapes as its next superintendent. Mapes is a member of the Indiana State Board of Education and previously served as superintendent of Perry Township Schools and Delaware Community Schools. In Texas, Marshall Moore has been named the lone finalist to become superintendent of the New Diana Independent School District at the end of the school year, after having served in the same position at Crowell ISD.
First-time superintendents step up
Several administrators are stepping into their first superintendencies. Karen Cloninger, an assistant superintendent in Washington’s East Valley School District, has been selected as the next leader of Longview Public Schools in the western part of the state. Also in the Northwest, Tara Lere has been named superintendent of the Plummer-Worley Joint School District No. 44 in Idaho. Lere is currently the director of the East Range Academy of Technology and Science in Mountain Iron, Minnesota.
Three more Texas districts have new leaders. Aaron Peña was named superintendent of Burnet Consolidated ISD after having served as Midway ISD’s assistant superintendent for administrative services. Brian Aiken, an assistant superintendent in Crockett ISD, has been chosen as the sole finalist to become superintendent of Corrigan-Camden ISD. Shaye Murphy, Gunter ISD’s chief administrative officer, is in line for the top spot at Rankin ISD.
And in Illinois, the Kaneland Community Unit School District #302 has picked Kurt E. Rohlwing as its next superintendent. Rohlwing has been an administrator in Round Lake School District #116 and Algonquin CUSD #300.
Among the promotions from within, JoAnna Gwynn will become superintendent of Caswell County Schools in North Carolina after having been the district’s executive director of human resources. Jason Ondrus, a lifetime resident of his district, will take over as superintendent of Barberton City Schools in Ohio on Aug.1. Ondrus is currently Barberton’s assistant superintendent.
Assistant Superintendent Elaine Kane will take over the top post this summer at the Alton Community Unit School District 11 in Illinois. In Pennsylvania, interim superintendent Bryan M. Macuga has been promoted to the top spot at the Steel Valley School District, where he has served as an educator since 2005.
More new hires:
- Kim Buryanek, Denison and Schleswig Community School Districts (Iowa)
- Michele Collier, Escambia County School System (Florida)
- Chad Harter, Community R-VI School District (Missouri)
- Paul Hoiriis, Newfound Area School District (New Hampshire)
- Theodore Ihns, Kasson-Mantorville Public Schools (Minnesota)
- Jason Lau, School District of West De Pere (Wisconsin)
- Andrew Longey, Enfield Public Schools (Connecticut)
