Tigerton School District fills tops position

Strike will start July 1 as administrator/principal
By: 
Miriam Nelson
News Editor

Tigerton School District Board offered the district administrator/principal position to Dr. Kelley Strike during a closed session meeting of the June 15 school board meeting.

Strike will replace Ben Rayome, who held the position from 2016 until April 2020 when he and the board mutually agreed to end his contract. Strike will begin her position July 1.

“Developing relationships and encouraging students to engage in the learning process is my mission in education,” said Strike. “As a leader, I intend to listen, learn, share, build and plan as I step into this new position.”

According to Lindsay Norder, the district’s business manager, 32 candidates applied for the position. The board narrowed the prospects to four and on June 8 interviewed the top two candidates in a special meeting open to the public.

For the past nine years, Strike has worked for the Shawano School District. For the first three years, she served as an associate principal and at-risk coordinator. During the past six years, she was the director of curriculum, instruction and assessment.

Strike started her career teaching family and consumer education and health occupations with the Wisconsin Rapids School District in 2002. She moved to the Southern Door School District in Brussels in 2006 initially as a family and consumer education teacher but moved into the role of alternative education teacher and associate principal.

She obtained her bachelor’s degree in family and consumer science education from the University of Wisconsin-Stout. She holds a master’s in education with an emphasis in health education from UW-Stevens Point. From Concordia University, she received her principal and director of instruction license and has a doctorate from UW-Oshkosh in educational leadership and policy.

Strike grew up in Iola and has lived in Tigerton for the last five years. She is married to Eric Strike, a deputy with the Shawano County Sheriff’s Department. They have three children, a senior, sophomore and fifth grader who attend the Tigerton School District.

“I look forward to working with the students, staff and community in Tigerton,” said Strike.

mnelson@newmedia-wi.com