From The Corn State (aka The Hawkeye State), Curt Rheingans now calls The Land of Lincoln home as the new superintendent of West Prairie School District No. 103. Rheingans, who took over July 1, recently sat down with The Community News Brief to share more about his background and experience, and his goals for the West Prairie District.
The Dewitt, IA native earned his bachelor's degree in elementary education from St. Ambrose University in Davenport, IA, his master's degree from the University of Iowa and his superintendent certification from the University of Northern Iowa.
What were you doing before you accepted this role? What experiences do you bring to this role that will make your role (and the district) successful?
Before coming to West Prairie, I spent the last nine years serving as a superintendent in both Iowa and Illinois. I've been amazed by the pride people have in this district. It's easy to see how much the students, staff, families and community care about West Prairie, and I'm excited to be a part of it.
Throughout my career as both a principal and superintendent, I've had the opportunity to wear a lot of different hats. I've served as a director of special education, director of buildings and grounds, led academic improvement initiatives and have been very involved in developing and managing school budgets. Those experiences have given me a well-rounded perspective, and I look forward to using that experience to help West Prairie continue moving forward. I'm excited to be here!
What are your goals/ plans for the WP? First big project/plan you'd like to undertake?
My first big goal is to get to know as many people throughout the district as possible. I want to spend time listening and learning, finding out what's working well, what makes West Prairie special and where we can continue to improve.
I truly believe the best way to move a district forward is by working together and learning from the people who know it best.
I am very lucky to be taking over after Paula Markey. She did a wonderful job leading West Prairie as interim superintendent, and I appreciate everything she did to keep the district moving in a positive direction. Her leadership has provided a great foundation, and I'm excited to continue building on that success.
I want to make West Prairie the best school it can be. We need staff, parents and community members to be positive supporters of our students. It truly takes all of us working together to create the kind of environment where our kids can succeed. I've always believed that great schools help build great communities, and great communities help build great schools. Those two go hand in hand. When we support one another, great things happen.
My goal during my first year is to continue the great things already happening at West Prairie while making small improvements along the way. I want to learn what has made this district successful and build on those strengths while looking for opportunities to make things even better. Looking a little further ahead, my fiveyear goal is for us to create a district-wide strategic plan together. I want that plan to reflect the ideas and priorities of our staff, students, parents, board members, and community. Once we develop that vision, we'll stay committed to it and use it as our roadmap for continued growth and success.
What's the most exciting part of your job? Most challenging?
The most exciting part of my job is interacting with our students. My plan is to visit each building several times a week so I can get to know our students and staff while learning firsthand how things work at West Prairie. I don't want to lead from behind a desk. I want to be visible, accessible, and involved in our schools. The most challenging part of the job is simply finding enough time to accomplish everything I'd like to do.
What do you like to do when you're not working?
I enjoy spending time with my family, especially relaxing on the lake. I'm also a big Iowa State Cyclones fan and love attending their athletic events whenever I get the chance. Traveling is another favorite hobby.
