Andrew Kellenberger, a 1999 graduate of Hills-Beaver Creek High School, will return to the school July 1 as its principal.
Kellenberger was one of 13 applicants for the position vacated by Molly Schilling, who was hired by the Adrian district last month as its superintendent.
Kellenberger comes to Hills from Dakota Meadows Middle School, one of two middle schools in Mankato, where he has been assistant principal in charge of 950 students for nearly three years.
The H-BC School Board approved Kellenberger’s hiring Monday night, in their first face-to-face meeting since March. His salary was set at $95,000.
Kellenberger attended the meeting via Zoom.
“I am excited to come back home,” he said.
Prior to becoming assistant principal in the fall of 2017, Kellenberger taught for 12 years in various elementary and middle schools, including Ellsworth, H-BC and Bloomington Public Schools for eight years.
Kellenberger and his wife, Natasha, have three children, Henry (6), Nora (4) and Livia (6 months).
A Beaver Creek native, he is the son of LeRoy and Lou Kellenberger.
Community is why Kellenberger wanted to return to his alma mater.
“This is a school and community you want to raise your kids in,” he told the Star Herald.
“I applied because I felt I was ready for the next step of leading a building. I am very excited to get to know our students, staff and community members this summer and fall.”
Committee reviews 13 principal applicants
Application deadline for the H-BC secondary position was May 26, and that evening the H-BC school board met in regular session via Zoom.
“I am very pleased at what we have coming in,” said Superintendent Todd Holthaus.
A hiring committee made up of staff and community members reviewed the applications.
H-BC secondary consists of about 200 sixth- through 12-grade students in the high school building in Hills.
The full-time position will oversee the 30 teachers and support staff.
Other duties of the principal include the oversight and implementation of the district’s assessment programs, the monitoring of current trends and instructional practices, recommendations for budget requests and expenditures, and communication with parents.
The contract will be for 220 days with compensation determined by the school board.
In other May 26 business, the H-BC School Board:
•Accepted the resignation of Dan Ellingson as district assessment coordinator.
•Hired H-BC graduate Dylan Gehrke as an elementary teacher beginning the 2020-21 school year. Gehrke replaces Jason Blosmo, a fifth-grade teacher, who resigned earlier this year.
•Extended summer school assignments to Darin DeBoer, Jill Stiefvater and Jil Vaughn. Cost is $1,200.
•Approved an overload teaching assignment to Scott Harnack for the 2019-2020 school year. Cost is $4,000.