A middle school principal from Perry will be the next superintendent for the West Liberty Community School District, it was announced last week by the district.
Shaun Kruger will take over the duties of Dr. Diego Giraldo on July 1. He was selected from a field of 32 candidates that were narrowed to eight, then four semi-finalists who were personally interviewed Monday, Feb. 22, by two mixed interview teams consisting of community members, parents, teachers, students and support staff along with interviews with administrators and directors, the school board of education while getting a tour of the community and district facilities.
Each person involved as a member of an interview team provided the school board direct feedback about each of the finalists. After careful review and consideration of the feedback from the interview team members, as well as again reviewing all application materials, the Board followed the data and chose to offer the contract to Kruger, offering the administrator the position, although it won’t be made official until the regular board meeting on Monday, March 1.
Kruger was “very excited” about accepting the offer from the district.
He said the most impressive thing he discovered about West Liberty school was “the diverse Latino population, strong community support and the size of the school district.”
“My entire educational career has been working in diverse schools with large Latino populations,” Kruger said. “When I heard the West Liberty superintendent position was open, I was immediately excited about the opportunity.”
Kruger said he was raised in Sibley, a small community in Northwest Iowa. “Growing up in small town Iowa was definitely a blessing for me. It was there that I developed a strong work ethic, learned about teamwork, respect for one another, attended church, and was able to get involved in a variety of activities,” Kruger said. “As a leader today, I still reflect on my upbringing and the lessons learned working with my grandparents in the fields, and the influence my parents, teachers and coaches had on me.”
Kruger said he is under contract through June in Perry and says he plans to work with the school board president Emily Geertz to “map out a plan for a successful transition.”
“I will be learning as much as possible about the school system and community prior to July 1st, so I can immediately get to work when I arrive,” he said.
He praised the school board and hiring committees “for allowing me the opportunity to lead your school district,” noting it was an “absolute pleasure meeting with all of you.”
Kruger praised tour guide JJ Garcia, noting he “really showcased the outstanding communities” of the district and “highlighted many of the amazing facilities, projects and sources of pride within the communities.”
“My wife and I could not be happier and more excited to move to West Liberty and call this place home,” Kruger said. “ It was apparent from the beginning of this process that West Liberty is a great fit for us and I am honored to be your next superintendent. Go West Liberty Comets!"
Board President Emily Geertz said the board is “thrilled with what Mr. Kruger will bring to our district and our community.”
“We recognized his passion for students, experience as an administrator and his genuine enthusiasm for taking on this leadership role,” she said, thanking “all the participants on the interview teams for their time and valuable feedback on the selection process.”
Geertz asked the community to “please welcome Shaun and his wife, Jennifer, to the West Liberty Community School District!"
The couple have three grown children including Lindsey, who is married and lives in Cedar Rapids with their first grandson, as well as Jake, who is also married and lives in Tampa Bay and Alyssa, the youngest, who is transitioning between colleges.
Kruger has served the Perry Community School District as the middle school principal for the past 16 years. The community, located west of Des Moines, is described to have “a total population and cultural and ethnic diversity very similar to West Liberty.” Previously, Kruger served as Assistant Middle School Principal at Katy Independent School District in Texas, and as an Elementary and Middle School teacher at Katy.
Kruger has introduced a number of new things to the Perry Schools over the years including standards-based grading, multiple grant opportunities, coursework for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math), a reading and math lab, and substantial work with social and emotional programming. He has also developed a robust “Professional Learning Community” environment at Perry.
Kruger is a mentor for beginning principals for the School Administrators of Iowa, as well as multiple future leaders within the Perry CSD.
Finally, Kruger has been “very active and involved” in the community of Perry.
He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from Iowa State University, his Masters degree in Educational Leadership from Prairie View A & M University, and his Superintendent Certificate of Advanced Studies from Iowa State University in 2018.
Working with Grundmeyer Leader Services Consultants of Des Moines, the district pinpointed their four finalists who included Kruger, along with Bettendorf Elementary School Principal John Cain, 7-12 Independence Principal John Howard and Wapello Shared Superintendent Mike Peterson before making the selection Tuesday.
Dr. Giraldo, who came to West Liberty from the Chicago Public School District, has served in West Liberty since June of 2019.