Johnston school board announces two finalists for superintendent

The Johnston Board of Education's search for a superintendent may be drawing to a close, with the district set to interview two finalists Oct. 24.

The board will decide between Tony Hiatt, director of elementary education for the Pleasant Valley Community School District, and Nikki Roorda, current interim superintendent of the Johnston Community School District, according to a news release from the Johnston Board of Education.

Roorda has served as interim superintendent since July.

Former superintendent Laura Kacer left in June 2022. No reason for Kacer's resignation was given beyond the school board's desire to seek "a different direction in leadership." At the time, the board decided to hire an interim superintendent while it conducted a more extensive search for a permanent leader.

Hiatt's experience includes serving as a regional administrator for the Mississippi Bend Area Education Agency, Title I coordinator and preschool director for the Pleasant Valley Community School District, pre-K through sixth-grade principal for Pleasant Valley, middle school associate principal and activities director in Marshalltown, and adjunct professor at Buena Vista University. The Pleasant Valley Community School District is a rural district headquartered in Riverdale, near Bettendorf.

Roorda has worked in the Johnston district for four years, serving as associate superintendent, executive director of teaching and learning, regional director for Heartland Area Education Agency, K-12 literacy coordinator, and classroom teacher.

Hiatt received a master's in educational administration and principalship from the University of Northern Iowa, and Roorda has a doctorate in education from Walden University. Both candidates hold superintendent certifications.

The candidates will have final interviews Oct. 24 with the board and two stakeholder groups of community members, staff and students. The board expects to reach "a final decision shortly after formal interviews conclude."

The new superintendent will begin July 1.

Biong M. Biong is an intern at the Register. Reach him at bbiong@dmreg.com.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Johnston school district has two finalists for new superintendent