Solon superintendent chosen for Cedar Falls AEA job

Sam Miller, the superintendent of the Solon Community School District, has been selected as the next chief administrator of Area Education Agency 267, the agency said Thursday.

Miller leaves Solon after five years presiding over a district that has become a leader in both graduation rates and new grading practices among Corridor schools.

He will replace Roark Horn, who has led the Cedar Falls-based agency since 2010. Iowa's area education agencies (AEAs) provide support for special education and other services to Iowa schools. Miller will oversee 600 full and part-time employees at the agency, which serves more than 65,000 students in 18 counties. He said the breadth of the agency's service area was one reason he was interested in the job.

'That opportunity to work and have an impact on so many kids and school districts was really appealing to me,” Miller said.

In Solon, Miller said he was proud of the district's professional learning communities, which coach teachers on best practices. The district also has renovated its elementary school, built a new stadium and planned a new middle school and arts center during his tenure, he said.

The next Solon superintendent will have to build that middle school and convert the current middle school building for a different purpose, Miller said.

Miller said the Solon school board was trying to schedule a meeting for next week to act on his resignation. The board is interested in beginning a search immediately to find a permanent replacement, he said.

'We are extremely proud to offer the position to someone with the breadth and depth of experiences that Mr. Miller has,” said a statement from Debra Rich, the AEA 267 board president. 'Sam's track record of exemplary leadership, along with his value for relationships and collaboration with stakeholders, are a perfect fit for AEA 267.”

Miller will take over July 1. The agency's board of directors will motion to hire him at its April 6 meeting, the agency said.