Two of the three finalists to be the next Oconto Falls superintendent of schools have local connections. The school board, with the assistance of consulting firm McPherson and Jacobson LLC, announced plans to conduct interviews on Feb. 27.
The finalists, announced Feb. 17, are:
• Benjamin Heninger, current superintendent of the Pardeeville School District.
• Ben Pytleski, current superintendent for the Lena School District.
• Stuart Russ, currently in his second year as principal at Oconto Falls High School.
The interview process will include participation from the board of education, staff members, community members and a student representative.
“This collaborative approach ensures a thorough evaluation of each candidate’s potential to lead our district,” the board said in its news release.
Heninger was previously superintendent in Butternut after serving six years as a school principal in Gresham. He is a 2005 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and earned master’s degrees in music from UW-Milwaukee and St. Mary’s of Minnesota as well as a doctor of education degree from Edgewood College.
Pytleski was a teacher and coach in Oconto Falls for 13 years before joining the Lena district as a principal in 2013, becoming superintendent in 2016.
Russ started his teaching career in the Luxemburg-Casco School District, moving to the Rosendale-Brandon School District and then entering administration as an assistant principal at Shawano Community High School. He was principal of Wittenberg-Birnamwood High School before taking the post at OFHS in 2023.
The successful candidate is expected to begin their tenure July 1, succeeding Dean Hess, who is retiring after 10 years as superintendent.
wbluhm@newmedia-wi.com
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