Superintendent turnover showed no sign of letting up over the past week as Florida’s Duval County Public Schools filled its vacant leadership post amid another round of arrivals and departures nationally.
Christopher Bernier, formerly superintendent of The School District of Lee County, also in Florida, will take the helm in Duval on July 1 after a nationwide search by the school board that lasted nearly a year and had been pared down from 20 to six candidates last month.
Another superintendent switching places is Kimberly Rizzo Saunders, who is moving to the Kennett Consolidated School District in Pennsylvania after being named New Hampshire’s superintendent of the year for her leadership of the Contoocook Valley School District. In Illinois, Minooka CCSD 201 has its next superintendent, Rachel Kinder, who currently leads the Valley View School District.
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In Pennsylvania, Harrisburg School District Superintendent Eric Turman has accepted the same position at the nearby Central Dauphin School District. Robert Scoboria has been chosen as the Twin Valley School District’s new superintendent after having led the Wyomissing Area School District, Berks Community Television reported.
Oregon City Schools has tapped Jim Fritz—currently superintendent at Anthony Wayne Local Schools—as its next leader, WTVG reported. Kentucky’s Boone County Schools has picked its new leader, Jeff Hauswald, who was previously superintendent of the Monroe County School Corporation in Indiana.
In Maine, Marie Robinson, who currently leads the Katahdin Schools Regional School Unit #89, has been hired as the new superintendent of the Bangor School Department. Eric Volta was selected as the new superintendent of the Mountain View Los Altos Union High School District in California after having led the Liberty Union High School District, according to the Mountain View Voice.
First-time female leaders step up
Longview ISD in Texas has selected Kansas City Public Schools Deputy Superintendent Marla Sheppard as its finalist for superintendent. Sheppard has also served as a math and science teacher, assistant principal, middle and high school principal in Houston ISD and was an assistant superintendent of school leadership in Fort Bend ISD.
Danbury Public Schools in Connecticut has installed its first-ever female superintendent, Kara Casimiro, who is the district’s assistant superintendent for teaching and learning and has been serving as its interim leader, the Danbury News-Times reported.
In Illinois, Tracy Thurwanger will become the next superintendent of Plano School District No. 88. Thurwanger has been serving as the district’s associate superintendent since January and was previously an assistant superintendent and the director for teaching and learning.
More new hires
- Eddie Beck, Columbus County Schools (North Carolina)
- Adam Burtsfield, Niles Community Schools
- Ralph Carrero, Lawrence Public Schools (Massachusetts)
- Don Diglia, Shawnee Local School District (Ohio)
- Rachel B. Hazel, Troup County School System (Georgia)
- Gary Hinton, Manchester Local Schools (Ohio)
- Mark Holtzman, Hempfield Area School District (Pennsylvania)
- Jody Penland, Laurens County School District 55 (South Carolina)
- Jordan Queen, Central City School District 133 (Illinois)
Departures
The following superintendents recently announced plans to step down:
- Christian Bowen has resigned from the Huntington Union Free School District (New York)
- Jason McCandless, Mount Greylock Regional School District (Massachusetts)
- Lynn Pulliam has resigned from Canadian ISD (Texas)
- Barrett Williams has resigned from the Rivendell Interstate School District (New Hampshire)
