Superintendent Search

During the Board of Education meeting on March 10, 2025, Ben Barton was approved as the next superintendent for the School District of Onalaska. Click here for more information.

The Board of Education is searching for the next superintendent of the School District of Onalaska. This page is for prospective candidates to learn about the application process and for community members to stay informed as we select the next leader of our schools. The Board has retained the Wisconsin Association of School Boards (WASB) to assist with the search.

For general inquiries and more information on the search process, please contact Sonya Ganther, Director of Human Resources, at ganso@onalaskaschools.com or 608-781-9705.

About Our District & Onalaska

The School District of Onalaska is located in beautiful Western Wisconsin. Nestled between the Coulee Region's bluffs and Lake Onalaska, the just over 14-square mile district is one of the geographically smallest in Wisconsin - offering an intimate and neighborly experience for students, staff, and the community.

We bolster high marks in academics, student engagement and participation, as well as community support. In 2024-25, the School District of Onalaska was rated as a 4 Star District - Exceeds Expectations by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.

Learn more about our high-achieving district as well as our exceptional community by clicking the links below.

School District of Onalaska - About Us
City of Onalaska

Timeline

Application Information

The Board of Education has retained the Wisconsin Association of School Boards (WASB) to facilitate the search process. Applications will be accepted through WASB only.

This search will open for applications in WASB Search Services Portal starting January 17.

All applicants will be required to:
1. Create an account in the Portal
2. Complete your profile
3. Apply for the School District of Onalaska search

Below are the necessary items as part of the application packet:

Letter of Interest
Application
Resume
Three Letters of Reference
Transcripts
License or information on how candidate will obtain
Additional Essay Questions

Check out the complete job description for more specifics on the position.

Interested persons are encouraged to contact Bruce Quinton, WASB Search Services Consultant: bquinton@wasb.org or 715-448-0095

Community Survey & Focus Groups

The Board of Education would like to gather input from staff and the community related to the hiring of a new superintendent. To best accomplish this task, the Board will conduct staff and student focus groups led by the WASB Search Services consultant and will be administering a community survey. The information gathered from the focus groups and community survey will assist the school board in the preparation of essay questions for the application process, the development of questions for use during interviews, and the creation of a profile outlining the skills and characteristics sought in candidates for the position.

Focus Groups were done on January 15, 2025 and the survey was completed from January 9 to 15, 2025. An executive summary of the results from both the survey and focus groups, can be found here. Thank you for participating!

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