David Hill.

TRAER – The North Tama County Community School District will soon begin a search for its next superintendent.

Last Friday the Waverly-Shell Rock Community School District’s Board of Education announced they had named North Tama Superintendent David Hill to fill their superintendent vacancy.

Hill will take over at Waverly-Shell Rock from superintendent Ed Klamfoth who is retiring at the end of the 2023-24 school year.

Hill, a native of rural Dysart, has been superintendent with North Tama since 2015. While at North Tama, he entered into a sharing agreement with nearby Gladbrook-Reinbeck in 2016 which lasted four years. He is currently 0.75FTE at North Tama.

In an email to North Tama staff sent Friday afternoon that was shared with Tama-Grundy Publishing, Hill indicated his commitment to his current district would remain as strong as ever in the weeks and months ahead.

“I have been BLESSED to work with an AMAZING board, staff, and school community over the past nine years, and I’m willing to do anything over the next several months (and beyond, even after I am no longer with the district) to help North Tama be successful. I truly believe the future is bright for North Tama!”

As part of the Waverly-Shell Rock news release, Hill stated, “I’m honored to have been selected as the next superintendent of one of Iowa’s premier school districts.  The district employs a talented staff, has great facilities and outstanding programs, and enjoys tremendous community support.  I look forward to collaborating with the board, community, administration, and staff to take Waverly-Shell Rock to the next level. It’s a great day to be a Go-Hawk!”

Also in the news release, Waverly-Shell Rock board president Charlene Wyatt Sauer stated, “It’s with great pleasure we welcome David Hill as our new superintendent of Waverly-Shell Rock Community Schools.  David’s proven experience and collaborative leadership style with a vision for student success makes him the right leader for our district.  We have full confidence in David to lead the future of public education at W-SR especially as we begin this fall the process of strategic planning and long-term assessment for our school district.  This is an exciting time to envision and plan what academic achievement means for our children in our communities.”

Hill was previously named a finalist in Union’s superintendent hiring search back in 2022. Prior to North Tama, Hill was a principal at Union for over a decade.

The North Tama Board of Education plans to take action on Hill’s formal resignation during their next regular monthly meeting scheduled for Monday, Feb. 12. Hill told the Telegraph he plans to attend the Feb. 5 Waverly-Shell Rock school board meeting in order to sign his contract with the district.

The Waverly-Shell Rock school board first announced Hill as one of three finalists on Jan. 19. Other finalist candidates included East Marshall Community School District Superintendent Anthony Ryan and Tipton Community School District Superintendent Jason Wester.

This past Monday, Wester removed himself from the candidate pool after accepting a position as superintendent at West Burlington Independent School District.

Waverly-Shell Rock is a rural public school district in northeastern Iowa spanning three counties (Bremer, Butler, and Black Hawk) and covering 162 square miles. Seven schools currently make up the district including a high school, a middle school, four elementary schools, and an alternative high school. Certified enrollment is just under 2,200 students.

Hill will begin work at his new school district on July 1, 2024.