Hiawatha hires superintendent

E-mail this story

Print this story

Share

KIRKLAND - The superintendent and a former principal with the 1,100-student Prophetstown-Lyndon-Tampico School District will take over the top job at the Hiawatha School District this July. Hiawatha's school board OK'd a contract with 53-year-old Christine Demory on Monday. Demory will begin at Hiawatha July 1 after spending seven years at the Prophetstown district, located about a half hour from the Illinois-Iowa border. She was an elementary school principal there for five years before becoming the superintendent two years ago. Demory said her first contact with the Kirkland community was several years ago when she took a detour through town while on her way to Rockford. At the time, it struck her as the kind of place where she might want to work and live some day. This morning, she pointed to a sense of warmth she got from Hiawatha School District residents during the interview process, as well as the value they place on education. "There certainly is a sense of pride in the community," she said. "The schools are well-maintained and supported. ... These are people who really care about their children." Demory said one of the broad goals she will work on is improving communication among staff, students and the community. Other, more specific goals will be set by her and the board later, she said. Now working on a doctorate at Northern Illinois University, Demory already has master's and bachelor's degrees in education. She has taught math at the elementary and middle school levels, and math and social studies at the high school level. The Hiawatha School Board in August chose not to renew current Superintendent Ron Rood's contract. He has been at the district for five years. The board provided no specific reason for the decision. Demory will make $110,000 in her first year leading the approximately 600-student Hiawatha district, or $1,000 more than Rood is making in his last. Hiawatha School Board President Martin Banks did not return phone calls for comment Wednesday or this morning. Chris Rickert can be reached at crickert@pulitzer.net.