School Board Chooses Madison Administrator to be Burnsville's Next Superintendent

The bar is already high for newly-chosen Superintendent Joe Gothard.

"I slept better last night than I'd slept in two weeks. If that isn't a sign from God I don't know what is," said Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School Board Member Dan Luth of Gothard's final interview on Tuesday.

In a preliminary straw poll on Wednesday, Gothard was chosen by the board five to one, who voted for neither him nor fellow finalist Darren Kermes. Gothard carried the day during the formal vote, however. News that Gothard had immediately accepted the position was met with applause from observers in the board room. 

Gothard began his career as a biology teacher. He is currently the assistant superintendent at the Madison Metropolitan School District in Wisconsin, where he has spent most of his career. The Burnsville position will be his first as a full-fledged super.

The Board described Gothard in glowing terms after hearing of his acceptance. Luth called him a "diamond in the rough." Board Member Jim Schmid referred to him as a "rising star" and "breath of fresh air."

The Board expressed hopes that Gothard would herald a new era for the district, which has been beset by budget pressures, public dissent and resistance to several proposals in 2012 and the aftermath of the Tania Chance severance payout. At the outset of the search for the new superintendent over half of district constituents surveyed cited "lack of trust in administration" as their primary concern.

In this regard, Board Member Bob VandenBoom praised Gothard as a "gifted people person." 

"He's articulate, genuine, and shows empathy. He's a good listener who gave humble, thoughtful, level-headed responses to difficult questions," VandenBoom said. "His style inherently trustworthy and likable."

Several board members said they were confident that Gothard could effectively reach out to the district's public, which has become increasingly diverse both culturally and economically over the last 10 years. Luth said that not only does Gothard hail from a multicultural, city district that is demographically akin to Burnsville, he himself comes from humble origins.

"He comes from the other side of the tracks. We have a lot of people in our district who have that same background and that's one of the things he'll bring," Luth said. "We're not doing the best with (engaging the poor) now, but this is going to be very natural for him. That's something we need." 

Gothard will take the reins on July 1. Current Superintendent Randy Clegg retires on June 30.