Columbia Public Schools named Dr. Peter Stiepleman as superintendent effective July 1 in an announcement March 14.
“In the end, we chose Dr. Stiepleman for many reasons,” Board of Education President Christine King said. “But his knowledge of the district, reputation with our community and partners and his understanding of what we really need to work on as a district edged Dr. Stiepleman for the position.”
However, Stiepleman says he realizes before he can assume the role for which he is chosen, finding a replacement for himself is first on the list of priorities.
“We’re looking to replace my position as assistant superintendent,” Stiepleman said. “Dr. Belcher and I have already begun having transition meetings.”
Expectations that the transition will happen smoothly seemed to be shared.
“We are confident the transition will go smoothly. Dr. Belcher is still around and assured the Board of Education that whoever we chose, he would help make it seamless,” King said. “With Dr. Stiepleman already part of his cabinet, this should all go very well.”
Though Stiepleman admits he is excited for the position, he also realizes the challenges that Belcher, his predecessor, has faced, and he knows the title of superintendent comes with some new stresses.
“When Dr. Belcher came to Columbia, we had just presided over a significant reduction in force,” Stiepleman said. “We were planning to build a new high school, which was also going to require entirely new boundaries.”
Still, even with such large tasks facing the district in the past, “the community responded by showing how important the schools are to them by passing a bond and a levy in the same year,” Stiepleman said, who holds faith in the district’s and community’s ability to cope with change. “We were able to restore class sizes and improve our facilities. We are being given an incredible opportunity—to focus on achievement, enrichment and access.”
However, even with such faith, Stiepleman appears ready to make assessments within the district and soon begin to tailor it more to his own vision.
“I plan to make appointments with every part of the organization. I need to really listen to what they see as sacred as well as what areas they identify as an opportunity for improvement,” Stiepleman said, though he admits that he plans to take the advice of those currently in office, learning and drawing from both his own and their years of experience. “I plan to seek counsel from my predecessors,” Stiepleman said. “They have a wealth of knowledge and insights, and I’ll be grateful for their time.”
By Ross Parks
