Two finalists selected for superintendent position

 Two finalists have been named in the race for Red Oak Community School District’s open superintendent position. 

The finalists are Deb Rodenburg, director of elementary education in the Papillion-La Vista School District, and Tom Messinger, principal at Burlington High School in eastern Iowa. 

“They are both excellent candidates with good leadership skills and good educational qualities,” ROCSD Board President Lee Fellers said. “We’re very comfortable with what [qualities] they each bring.”

Final interviews will be held this week with each candidate meeting with several groups of people throughout the day and ending with dinner and an interview with the school board. 

Candidates will meet with current superintendent Terry Schmidt and business manager Shirley Maxwell, an administration group, a secretarial and paraprofessional group, a teacher group, a parent and community group and lastly, school board members. 

According to Fellers, every member of the groups will fill out individual evaluations of each candidate to offer the board assistance in choosing the new superintendent. 

Fellers said the board will take the evaluations into careful consideration for their final decision. 

 A new superintendent should be named Wednesday night after all interviews are concluded. 

Current superintendent Terry Schmidt resigned from his position at an April 9 board meeting. His last day with ROCSD will be June 30 when his contract expires.

With such little time left in the school year, the board hired G. Tryon and Associates to assist in the superintendent search. 

After receiving a large influx of applications, the board made the decision to forego an interim superintendent and pursue someone to fill the position permanently.