College Community picks John Speer as new superintendent

CEDAR RAPIDS - The College Community school board announced their decision to hire John Speer as the new superintendent of the school district Saturday.

During a closed session, members chose Speer to replace outgoing Superintendent Richard Whitehead, effective July 1.

Speer, 41, is currently serving as Superintendent in the Ballard Community School District,  about 10 miles south of Ames. According to a news release, Speer also served as Superintendent at Allamakee Community Schools from 2004-2008, and was a high school principal at Independence and East Buchanan Community Schools.

According to school board President Randy Bauer, Speer's interpersonal and relationship-building skills stood out during the interview process.

"We think that his ability to communicate, to paint a vision, his ability to work collaboratively to set goals, and sense of teamwork ... will fit very well with the district," Bauer said.

Bauer pointed to Speer's creation of an eight-year plan for the Ballard School District - called "Ballard 2020" - as evidence that Speer will create similar visions for their district.

The College Community School District serves more than 4,000 students from Johnson, Linn, and Benton Counties, according to the district's website.

"What we're looking for in John is to come in, understand what our strengths are, build upon those strengths, maybe help us identify areas of improvement, and work to satisfy those areas of improvement," he said.

On Tuesday, the board narrowed down candidates for the position to Speer and Greg DuFoe. DuFoe is the superintendent of Adel-DeSoto-Minburn School District, a consolidated district west of Des Moines.

According to Community Relations Director Steve Doser, Speer's salary will be $175,000.

Both Speer and DuFoe received a salary of about $120,000 during the 2010-2011 school year, according to the Iowa Department of Education. Whitehead was paid $150,127.

According to the news release, Speer received multiple degrees from the University of Northern Iowa, including a Bachelor's in English/Education and a Master's in Education. He's also in the process of getting his Doctorate in Education.

Speer said in a statement that he, his wife, and two young daughters, are looking forward to being a part of the school community.

"Our family and I are very excited about the opportunity that the College Community offers us both personally and professionally," Speer added.  "I am looking forward to being in a district that makes educational decisions in the best interest of kids and I am excited about working with the staff that cares so deeply about their students."