C. J. Huff passed over for Springfield superintendent job

When former Monett Superintendent John Jungmann was selected to be the new superintendent for the Springfield School District, the candidate pool from which he was selected included at least one other superintendent well known in this area...and a former Missouri Superintendent of the Year, at that.

The Turner Report has confirmed that the Springfield School District gave serious consideration to Joplin R-8 Superintendent C. J. Huff for the position.

Huff has been Joplin's superintendent since 2008, when he was hired to replace Dr. Jim Simpson, who took a position as superintendent in the Lindbergh School District in the St. Louis area. Before Huff was hired in Joplin, he was superintendent of the Eldon School District for four years and at one point early in his career was a principal in the Springfield School District.

Huff's path to the Superintendent of the Year honors started with his actions following the May 22, 2011, Joplin Tornado, when he famously declared that school would open on time, despite the loss of six buildings in the tornado. In this video, he famously declares it again in front of a packed audience at the Wisconsin State Education Conference.

Jungmann, who worked his way through high school and college as a sports reporter, first at the Lamar Democrat, then working for me as sports eidtor of the short-lived Lamar Press newspaper. He began his teaching career at Lamar High School, became a principal and later superintendent at Monett and currently is in his first year as superintendent of the Liberty School District.

Springfield School Board officially hires Jungmann as superintendent

(From Springfield Public Schools)

Dr. John E. Jungmann will be Springfield Public Schools' next superintendent. In a unanimous vote March 4, the Board of Education elected to hire him and is now in the process of negotiating the terms of his employment, including salary.

"Following Dr. Jungmann's community visit Monday, we listened to the feedback we received and agreed that he is the right candidate at the right time to move Springfield Public Schools to the next level of excellence," said Kris Callen, school board president.

Dr. Jungmann is currently superintendent of Liberty Public Schools but will assume the role at SPS effective July 1. He will replace Dr. Norm Ridder, who has served as superintendent for nine years.

A native of southwest Missouri, Dr. Jungmann told community members he is excited to return to this area with his wife, Kerry, and their three daughters, Halle, 12; Macie, 9; and Jolie, 2.

He said he was inspired to pursue a career in education by three educators who influenced him as a student. "They inspired me, they encouraged me, they blessed my life and said you can have an impact on kids and you can do something different," he said. "That's why I do the type of work that I do."

Callen said the board hopes to have an employment contract finalized by the end of the week. Dr. Jungmann's total compensation package is expected to be valued at about $250,000, an amount commensurate with the level of responsibility and accountability in a school district the size of SPS, Callen explained.

"As the largest fully accredited school district in the state and the fifth largest employer in Springfield, this job brings with it a unique set of responsibilities and challenges," Callen said. "We are confident that Dr. Jungmann will not only meet those expectations but exceed them."

On Monday, Dr. Jungmann was in Springfield to meet with various community and employee groups, including two meetings open to the general public. Individuals who were not able to meet Dr. Jungmann may view a video of one of his question-and-answer sessions posted here.

In November, the Board of Education retained the services of McPherson and Jacobson to assist in the superintendent search. McPherson and Jacobson met with the board and also conducted numerous stakeholder meetings and a community survey to determine the qualities and characteristics most desired in the new superintendent.


The individuals who were interviewed for the position, in consideration of the criteria, were selected from a pool of 13 applicants. On Feb. 5, the board met to review applications and identified quarterfinalists to participate in online interviews Feb. 11-12. The board then narrowed the pool to semifinalists and interviewed them Feb. 16-17. The top finalist, Dr. Jungmann, was invited to visit Springfield on March 3 to meet the community prior to the board making its final decision.

(Note: Jungmann is the former superintendent at Monett and is a graduate of Lamar High School.)

John Jungmann top choice for Springfield superintendent job

Former Monett superintendent John Jungmann, currently superintendent at Liberty is the top choice to become the next superintendent of the Springfield Public School District.

Jungmann is a graduate of Lamar High School and spent some of his time during high school and college working as a sports reporter, including a year working for me at the now-defunct Lamar Press.

Springfield Public Schools issued the following news release:

Springfield Public Schools Board of Education on March 3 will introduce to the community the top finalist for the superintendent's position. Dr. John E. Jungmann is currently superintendent at Liberty Public Schools in Liberty.

The school board has planned several community meetings for that day to allow SPS employees, business and civic leaders and community members the opportunity to meet Dr. Jungmann. A schedule of these events is currently being developed and will be announced next week.

As a native of southwest Missouri, Dr. Jungmann is excited to return to this area with his wife, Kerry, and their three daughters, Halle, 12; Macie, 9; and Jolie, 2.

Prior to serving in Liberty, a district of 11,500 students, Dr. Jungmann was superintendent of Monett R-1 School District four years.

"We are eager for the Springfield community to meet Dr. Jungmann and see for themselves his engaging personality and strong visionary leadership," said school board president Kris Callen. "Following his visit, we anticipate finalizing an employment offer and contract with an anticipated start date of July 1."

"We are excited about the skill set Dr. Jungmann brings to our district and we look forward to working with him as SPS moves forward in our commitment to provide personalized learning for all students," said Callen. "His statewide reputation and influence as a respected educational leader will support us in our pursuit of that goal."

Strengths and accomplishments of Dr. Jungmann noted by the board include:
*       Models lifelong learning and professionalism, promotes risk-taking and cultivates innovation.
*       Is a student-focused, visionary leader.
*       Implemented one-to-one technology initiatives in both Liberty and Monett.
*       Created and implemented a facility master plan which reduced the square-footage required per learner, creating innovative and cost-effective 21st century learning environments.
*       Has experience in effectively serving diverse student populations.
*       Possesses the identified leadership trait of "Maximizer," which enables him to take something good and make it great.

In November, the Board of Education retained the services of McPherson and Jacobson to assist in the superintendent search. McPherson and Jacobson met with the board and also conducted numerous stakeholder meetings and a community survey to determine the qualities and characteristics most desired in the new superintendent.
The individuals who were interviewed for the position, in consideration of the criteria, were selected from 13 completed applications. On Feb. 5, the board met to review applications and identified quarterfinalists to participate in online interviews Feb. 11-12. The board then narrowed the pool to semifinalists and interviewed them Feb. 16-17.