Highland School Board names finalists for next share superintendent

The Highland Community School District School Board recently met with Grundmeyer Leader Services to review the candidate pool and conduct screening interviews. The Board is pleased to announce three finalists in their search for the next shared superintendent with the WACO School District. The finalists are Spencer Lueders, Bruce Snodgrass, and Bill Zywiec.

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Currently serving as the fourth-sixth grade intermediate principal in Central Dewitt CSD, Lueders has led the school in improving its Iowa School Performance Profile designation from Acceptable to Commendable. He also spearheaded the implementation of the Amplify/CKLA and Character Strong curricula, enhancing academic rigor and social-emotional learning across the school. Previously, he was the preschool-second grade principal, Title X/equity coordinator, and preschool program coordinator at Cardinal Elementary School in Maquoketa.

Lueders holds a superintendent specialist and a preschool-12 principalship/preschool-12 special education supervision certificate from the University of Northern Iowa, along with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Ashford University.

As sixth-12th grade principal of West Burlington Junior/Senior High School, Snodgrass wrote the implementation plan for the Iowa Core Leadership program, served as cochair of a Special Education Delivery Plan Committee, and created the Falcons SOAR PBIS program at the school. He was also the lead administrator for curriculum realignment and vertical articulation and managed the building’s budget. Before becoming an administrator, he was a social studies teacher in Knoxville and Platte City, Missouri.

Snodgrass holds both a master’s degree in educational leadership and a specialist in education certificate from Northwest Missouri State University. He also received a bachelor’s degree in history and secondary education from Missouri Western State College.

In his role as dean of students in Highland CSD, Zywiec has implemented student behavior and attendance policies, regulations, guidelines, and procedures, while responding to and resolving parent, student, and staff concerns. He has also overseen extracurricular events, evaluated teachers and staff, and represented the district at community functions. Zywiec previously was director of personnel at the district, and also has experience as a high school basketball coach and math teacher.

Zywiec holds an education specialist degree from Wayne State College, a master’s degree in seven-12 school administration from Concordia University, and a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Nebraska Omaha.

As a next step, the Highland and WACO CSD boards and stakeholder interview teams will conduct formal interviews with each finalist on Friday, Jan. 24. A final decision is expected to be reached soon after the formal interviews.

The next superintendent will begin leading the Highland and WACO Community School Districts effective July 1, 2025.