Blue Valley Schools will soon kick off the process to find a new superintendent after Tonya Merrigan retires at the end of the school year.
The Blue Valley Board of Education on Dec. 9 discussed Merrigan’s retirement and the superintendent search, which will begin in the coming months. She served in the district’s top administrator role for five years.
“There’s a lot of worry and anxiety with Dr. Merrigan’s departure because she is very well loved here in the district and she’s done a fabulous job,” said Board Member Clay Norkey. “There’s really no way we can replace Dr. Merrigan, but we can have somebody else come into this position.
“For students and teachers and parents — especially the teachers that are nervous — we’re going to find a top notch, all the way to the top, superintendent to take over.”
First step: Find a firm to help with the search
The first step in the search for a new superintendent is to find a firm to assist in the process, said Board President Gina Knapp.
“We’re going to talk about this on a monthly basis,” Knapp said. “We’ll be interviewing search firms this upcoming week, and deciding on the search firm that’s going to help us find the next superintendent.”
Knapp said she expects to do interviews this spring and have a clear candidate by April 2025.
The district wants public input in the process
Kaci Brutto, spokesperson for the school district, provided the following some information about the search process:
- Public Involvement:
The Board of Education is committed to including our community in this process. While we’re still in the early stages, we’re planning to share more details in January about how students, families, staff and community members can give their input. - Public Engagement Opportunities:
Specific opportunities for public involvement will be detailed in January when we release the timeline and process updates. The community’s perspectives will be an essential part of ensuring we find a leader who reflects the district’s values and priorities. - Search Committee:
The Board of Education is working with Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates (HYA), a search firm that specializes in finding superintendents. HYA will support the Board in identifying and engaging with highly qualified candidates. While there is no separate “search committee” apart from the Board and HYA, community input will help guide the process. We encourage the community to share feedback through the engagement opportunities we will outline in January.
Tonya Merrigan set ‘a great example’
Merrigan, an educator of more than 30 years, joined the district in 1999 as a high school counselor. However, she filled many roles in the district throughout her time, including:
- Assistant principal
- Associate principal
- District administrator for virtual education
- Director of student programs
- Executive director of curriculum and instruction
- Assistant superintendent of academic services
- Deputy superintendent
“I have 100% confidence in the seven board members sitting up here, that they have the best interest of the students and staff at their core,” Merrigan said. “I have every confidence that they are going to find an exceptional candidate to take this district further than I did.”
Board Member Jodie Dietz said the board takes the responsibility of finding a new superintendent “very seriously.”
“Dr. Merrigan has set quite a great example for many of us,” Dietz said. “We have a good pulse on what we’re looking for, what our community expects and deserves. I have all the confidence that the search is in great hands with this board.”
Go deeper: Check the Blue Valley Schools’ webpage on the superintendent search here.
