By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
First of a two-part series
Incoming St. Joseph School Superintendent Gabe Edgar says he saw opportunity in taking on the new role and sees opportunity for the St. Joseph School District to move forward.
The St. Joseph School Board voted unanimously to promote Edgar to superintendent to succeed Doug Van Zyl who is moving to Minnesota to take a similar position in his home state.
Edgar, in a video released by the district announcing his appointment, issued a challenge to the staff: make a difference.
“In education, we’re here to make a difference and, I believe, that everybody can wake up in the morning and say, did I make a difference yesterday? And if you can say you made a difference, then you’re there for the right reasons. If you say you didn’t make a difference, then you probably need to find a new career.”
Edgar sat down with KFEQ/St. Joseph Post to discuss his appointment at length, consider the challenges facing the St. Joseph School District, reflect on its at times rocky past, and look ahead to its future.
Edgar says the timing was right to take on the challenge of becoming superintendent.
Edgar has been the St. Joseph Assistant Superintendent of Business and Operations for the past four years. He takes on the new duties July 1st.
Edgar says as superintendent he will look to the school board to set the priorities and guide the administration to carry them out.
“So one of the things when I first took over this job when the fund balances were about 15% and the Board of Education would like to see them around 25(%) and as of right now, we set at about 26.5(%), so we’re right there where we need to be,” Edgar says, giving as example of fulfilling a goal set by the school board. “We feel like we have an opportunity to offer a good education to kids.”
Edgar says finances and academics have to be balanced in a public school district.
“One of the things that you commonly see, not necessarily commonly, but you don’t want to see is that where you pit academics versus finance, because they’re all together, right? I think it’s important for people to understand that,” according to Edgar. “They coincide with each other and it all has to be one big happy family in order to make it work.”
This is the first of a two-part series with Edgar, which we will feature on the KFEQ Journal. Tomorrow, we discuss the challenges the St. Joseph School District faces overcoming problems of the past.