Dear Iola-Scandinavia Staff and Families,
In late January our District Administrator, Ray Przekurat, informed the board, staff, and community of his plans to pursue other interests and opportunities outside of education after the 2023 school year. Ray can be very proud of the many accomplishments over the past six years. He came into our district during a very challenging time and led our district through many obstacles. We have a very solid district, incredible staff, great students, families, and community. We are currently working on completing a new strategic plan and ground/facilities plan which we anticipate finalizing by the end of the school year.
I have personally had the pleasure of working closely with Ray over the past few years serving on the school board and I’ve learned so much about how a school runs and functions. I have a lot of respect for all the different hats an administrator wears. It is not an easy job, and the decisions made may not always be popular with everyone. But it always comes down to what is best for the kids. Ray reminds me of that often.
Over the past few years, teachers, administrators, students, and families have been faced with some real challenges with virtual classes and the social and emotional consequences. Because of this, teachers and administrators have looked for jobs outside of education. In 2021 107 district administrators left the profession or moved to another district. Currently, there are approximately 25 districts in Wisconsin looking to hire new administrators, and that number is expected to grow. Burnout is at an all-time high.
Our district is in the difficult position of finding a replacement when there is already a lack of administrators in Wisconsin. Our options are to look internally and/or look externally. One option is to spend a fair amount of money to hire a firm or organization to assist in the search and this process can take months to complete. Our Board of Education and our administrative team are aware middle/high school principal, Chris Nelson has his certification to fulfill the position and his strong desire to be a district administrator.
Chris Nelson has been in the field of education for 29 years. He has been a well-respected teacher and principal at our high school for 24 of those years. He is passionate and has a vested interest in our staff, our systems, our buildings, families, and community. He has led our students and families through some very challenging times.
After careful consideration and conversations with staff and other districts that have hired internally (this is becoming very common), we have come up with a great plan. The Board has offered the position of District Administrator to Chris Nelson starting July 1, 2023, and he has accepted. Securing Chris at this stage will allow time for Chris and Ray to work together to transition during the balance of the 2022-2023 school year. Further, Ray has agreed to be available to assist for several months into the next school year if needed. This decision also gives more time to find a replacement principal for the middle/high school.
We are extremely excited about the future and look forward to doing what is best for the kids, staff, and community. Having a great staff and leadership are imperative to accomplishing this goal. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions.
Kind regards,
Michael Harbridge
Iola-Scandinavia School Board President