School board offers job to acting superintendent

Interim Douglas County Superintendent Jeannie Dwyer was offered the district’s top position during Tuesday’s school board meeting.

A special meeting was scheduled for 5 p.m. March 21 to properly offer the position and present a contract to Dwyer.

During Tuesday’s meeting, instead of creating a procedure and considering a national search firm to hire a superintendent as was agendized, Trustee Yvonne Wagstaff made a motion to appoint Dwyer as superintendent which was second by Linda Gilkerson.

“Recently I had a conversation with Jeanne that after careful consideration and spending four months on the job, she is interested in continuing in the superintendent position,” said Wagstaff. “She came to us willing to balance two very high level, stressful positions both of which she is doing very well. Imagine how more amazing she could do, working only as our superintendent.

Wagstaff said Dwyer is doing an extraordinary job under the circumstances.

“She has always been fair with a calm demeanor,” Wagstaff said. “She is already very familiar with the position and its many challenges. She has already formed relationships with staff and teachers to lead well. She has been on the front line and has the skills necessary to repair and improve relationships. Most importantly she knows what our district needs, she knows how we do things here in Douglas County and we already know what we have in her. So why would we not want her and her ability to hit the ground running.”

The motion was approved by trustees Wagstaff, Gilkerson, Carey Kangas, Doug Englekirk and Katherine Dickerson. David Burns and Susan Jansen abstained.

Many were against the selection because it was not on the agenda and given proper notice.  

“There’s been this idea, and this is no disrespect to you (Jeanne), but there has been this ‘oh, it’s no hurry,’ ‘let’s take time to go through everything,’ and now all of a sudden, it’s a hurry,” said Dickerson. “It was sprung on us and I just need to sit on this.”

But Dwyer said she was up for the task.

“I’m all in,” said Dwyer. “I will admit I was a little apprehensive in the beginning and now that I have been through it and done it my confidence is improving. I feel like I am doing a good job considering everything that has happened, and I hate to put this out into the universe, but how much harder can it get.”

Dwyer has been acting superintendent since Keith Lewis resigned Nov. 1, 2023, while still holding her position as executive director of inclusive education.

If she accepts the offer, her current position will end, though she said she will miss it.

“I do love that, but I will continue to be involved, that’s one of the things as superintendent is I get to be involved in everything and actually I think what I have learned from inclusive education will help be an even better superintendent,” said Dwyer.