Hedges chosen to lead USD 235

Hedges

Janice Hedges of Fort Scott was hired as the superintendent, along with duties as the junior and senior high principal of USD 235 at Monday night's special meeting of the Board of Education.

Doug Coyan, chairman of the search committee formed last week, said there was a long list of interested people.

"We looked for experience, as much as anything," Coyan said. "She's got the experience to fill the position."

"We are very happy to have Janice and her experience, not only as a superintendent but as a mentor," Wood said. "Having Tyler (Jackman) as a first year principal of the grade school, it's going to be wonderful to have her in that mentorship role.

"That's what we are excited with her about. She is not a caretaker. She's not somebody that is just going to be filling the void, until next year. She is somebody that is energetic, intelligent and wants to move this district forward, which is what we are looking for each and every year."

Hedges has worked for the last three years with the Kansas Education Leadership Institute (KELI) at Kansas State University as a mentor for first-year superintendents in southeast Kansas.

"During the three years, I have worked with 11 different superintendents," she said. "The goal of KELI is to ensure that first-year superintendents have the support, encouragement and mentoring they need to be successful in their new role as superintendent."

Hedges was interim superintendent for Hutchinson Public Schools from 2010 to 2011. She also served in that district as assistant superintendent of schools from 2004 to 2009. Prior to that she served as an elementary principal in Hutchinson for seven years.

She served as middle school principal in Hesston for three years, elementary principal in Great Bend for five years and was an elementary classroom teacher from 1967 to 1987 in Great Bend and Hutchinson.

Board President Matt Wood said it was "amazing how many administrators that would have stepped in here."

"The administrators that we contacted or that contacted us that wouldn't have taken the job," Wood said. "This is a great school district, we are in great financial shape."

Most were retired administrators that were interested, he said.