North Scott High School’s new principal may just be starting here, but he’s no stranger to the district.
Andrew Lehn was hired to succeed Shane Knoche at Monday night’s school board meeting. His starting salary will be $120,000 and he will begin on July 1. He will be entering his 18th year in education at the start of the school year.
“I’m excited to be here and get to see the academic and extracurricular excellence you guys are known for,” Lehn told the audience, which included 22 students from Sean Marmion and Eric Lenze’s government classes. “We’re glad to be back in the QC shortly and look forward to July 1 to hit the ground running.”
“Full disclosure – I did work with Mr. Lehn in Davenport,” said junior high principal Chad Jones, who hosted Monday’s meeting. “We taught together at West High School and then at Smart.”
Lehn said he’s ready to begin work at North Scott.
“I am very passionate, I am very enthusiastic, and I want everybody to be their best self. I’m going to give it my all. My success comes from everyone else’s success. I want everyone to be at their best, and I’m willing to help in any way, shape or form.”
Lehn has served as principal of Cardinal High School in Eldon since 2022. The Cardinal School District serves students in Wapello, Davis, Jefferson and Van Buren counties. Prior to that, he was an assistant principal at Ottumwa High School for two years.
But Lehn spent much of his career as an art teacher and football coach at Davenport West High School, starting in 2012. Adding to his familiarity with his new school, Lehn’s wife, Suzanne, taught family and consumer science at North Scott High School from 2014-2021.
Lehn said he is excited to return to Scott County and a bigger district.
“The character of every student I’ve ever seen from North Scott was a big draw. Looking at the report card, the small things: the proficiency’s there, which means there’s got to be good staff and good students. There is an appeal with all the facilities, but at the heart of it, I know there are special people, staff and students, here.
“I’m excited. My interview went well, everyone I met was awesome. And I’m excited to be back in the area.”
Lehn is starting to get to know his new school and attended a performance of Lancer Productions’ “Beauty and the Beast” on Sunday with his wife. He said so far, he’s been very impressed with everything he’s seen going on at the high school.
“There’s a happiness and a sense of pride; the body language that I saw everyone carrying themselves with was ideal. You can tell people enjoy being here, they’re happy, they’re giving it their all. You can just sense that within 10 seconds of being here. People take pride in what they do.”
Lehn is a 2008 graduate of Central College in Pella. After graduating, he was a fifth through eighth grade art teacher and coach in Grinnell. He earned his master’s degree in educational administration from Grand Canyon University.
The Lehns have two daughters, Violet and Brielle.
Katie Hoyt commended
With one piece of next year’s staffing puzzle in place, the district is working to fill several other positions, including another very public person.
Katie Hoyt, the district’s communications director and grant writer, will resign, effective April 30, as she and her family are moving out of the area.
“We’re going to miss you a lot, and thank you for all you’ve done,” board member Tracy Lindaman told Hoyt.
“Katie, you’ve been wonderful, and we appreciate everything you’ve done. Your talent and skills are phenomenal, and you’ve set the bar,” added Joni Dittmer.
The district has posted the job with a starting salary of $55,000. The full position listing is on the district’s employment page, located under the district tab.
Hoyt also served as student government advisor, one of several advisory positions the district is also advertising. Others include a high school Service Club advisor, and Invent Iowa advisor at John Glenn, and a student council advisor at the junior high.
The district is also seeking a school nurse for Ed White, sixth grade teachers at John Glenn and Ed White, special education teachers at Ed White and Alan Shepard, and several coaching positions.
Other resignations accepted at Monday’s meeting include: Ann Santee, school nurse at Ed White, effective the end of the school year; Sarah Ockerman, food service helper at Alan Shepard and the junior high, effective April 5; Sarah Graham, assistant varsity volleyball coach, effective the end of the 2023-24 season; Eric Lueders, 7-12 teacher leader, effective the end of the school year; Kim Meyer, student council advisor at the junior high, effective the end of the school year; Sarah Hansel, head varsity fall and winter cheerleading coach, effective the end of the school year; and Emily Jordan, night custodian at the high school and district bus driver, effective April 15.
In addition to the hiring of Andrew Lehn, other hires include: John Drinnon as a special education bus aide at $15.19 per hour, effective April 8; Boise Schoonover as a seasonal summer grounds worker from June 6 – Aug. 20 at $15 per hour; and Katie Madden as a social studies teacher at the high school and junior high at $46,315, effective the 2024-25 school year.
Brenda Renken, special education aide at the junior high, will voluntarily transfer to the same position at the high school for the 2024-25 school year, due to the retirement of Terri Cousino.
Brooke Baldwin, sixth grade teacher at John Glenn, will be reassigned to fifth grade teacher at Glenn for the 2024-25 school year, due to the transfer of Jana Kleman.
April Keating, work-based learning administrative assistant at the high school, will be reassigned to work-based learning coordinator at $29.95 per hour for the 2024-25 school year, due to the resignation of James Simmons.
Tara James, kindergarten teacher at Virgil Grissom, will be involuntarily reassigned to kindergarten teacher at Alan Shepard for the 2024-25 school year, due to a reduction in class sections.
Levi Berkhoff and Nathan Walsh will volunteer with the North Scott Mountain Biking Club, and Clayton Nettleton will be a volunteer at the high school.
Student recognition
Superintendent Joe Stutting also attended “Beauty and the Beast” Sunday. “If you haven’t seen it … you will regret not going. It was phenomenal.” Several members of the cast were in attendance.
“I say this every time, but I always think, I’m amazed how talented they are,” added Stutting.
Board member Carrie Keppy traveled with just over 50 high school and junior high FFA members to the state convention in Ames last week. “I just appreciate the hard work and effort those students put into competing,” she said. “It was pretty fun to hang out with those kids from North Scott and about 6,000 students from across the state.” Senior Cole Wessel was the recipient of the 2024 Stars Over Iowa award in agriscience at the convention.
The board congratulated Stutting on receiving the Administrator of the Year award from the Iowa Bandmasters Association.
Bills
Director of business affairs Jill Van Roekel presented bills in the amount of $2,802,831.05. Highlights included $9,208 to Iowa Testing Programs for spring 2024 ISAP testing; $346,914.82 to Industrial Steel Erectors for a progress payment on the Regional Innovation Center; and $586,417.90 to Climate Engineers for a progress payment on the Regional Innovation Center.
The district will be reimbursed $200,000 on the Industrial Steel Erectors payment by a grant from the Regional Development Authority, and $560,476.32 on the Climate Engineers payment by a grant from the State Career Academy Incentive Fund (CAIF). In total, $1 million of various progress payments will be reimbursed by the CAIF grant.
Construction update: Shepard ribbon cutting in May
A ribbon cutting for Alan Shepard is being planned for the week of May 10-15. Stutting said the official ceremony would take place towards the end of the school day, followed by an open house for the public.
Exterior brick work is going on at the welding building, with demolition work inside.
The bleachers and other stadium features were delivered to Lancer Stadium Monday, and Stutting said crews are anxious to begin work on that aspect of the remodeling after roofing on the locker rooms is completed.
The north side of the Regional Innovation Center has drywalling going on, although on the south end crews are still dealing with excess moisture in the ground caused by snowmelt and rain.
Foundation work has started at the junior high and Neil Armstrong. Junior high principal Chad Jones said work on the music area will begin May 20, after the last band concert. He said the band will take over the small gym for the remainder of the school year.