Meredosia’s superintendent is moving up the street- or up the river, as it were.
Ron Gilbert informed Meredosia-Chambersburg school board members earlier this month he’s accepting a job to be the new superintendent at Beardstown High School next school year.
School board president Jeff Schmitz says the hope is to have a new superintendent selected by the end of the year. He says there are lots of different qualities the board is looking for in a new superintendent.
“We’ve had a consultant that has canvassed our community, our staff, our support staff, students, the board, and compiled all of that information. Obviously, we’re looking for a strong leader that can develop and retain our staff, someone who understands fiscal responsibility and a lot of the financial burdens that are placed on schools now, along with just high quality and character of leadership,” says Schmitz.
“Those are some of the things that would be on the short list.”
Gilbert has been at Meredosia-Chambersburg since 2012. This was the first superintendent job Gilbert worked. He’s overseen a school improvement project at the junior-senior high school that’s ongoing. Schmitz notes that’s something the next top administrator will pick up.
“We haven’t formally closed our grade school at this time. Our plan is to do some additional renovation to our current high school building in the summer of 2016 and then move our grade school students over to the new building for the 2016-2017 school year. But, we have not finalized all of those plans or even let that out for bid yet,” he says.
“So, Mr. Gilbert is continuing to work on that project, and there will be a passing of the torch on that project, even to our new superintendent.”
Schmitz says the school board wishes Gilbert well in his future endeavors, noting Beardstown is a bigger school district with more responsibilities.
Gilbert’s final date is June 30th, and the new superintendent will be July 1st.