‘Eyes on the prize’: LPS chooses interim superintendent as long search begins

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – John Skretta became the interim superintendent of Lincoln Public Schools on Tuesday after a unanimous vote by the board.

After Paul Gausman announced his retirement in December, the search began for the next leader of LPS.

The school board decided Skretta would take over for the next 18 months while they launch that search.

SEE ALSO: Three Lincoln Public Schools principals announce plans to retire, change careers

Skretta has a long history with LPS and is currently serving as the associate superintendent for civic engagement.

Bob Rauner, the president of the school board, said Skretta had one thing that made him stand out from other potential candidates: experience.

“He started teaching here at Northwest High School,” Rauner said. “And not just teaching, he had some administrative roles and evaluations, so he had a variety of experiences. Then he was a principal at Norris, he was a superintendent at Norris.”

SEE ALSO: ‘A bright future ahead’: LPS looking for new leader as superintendent retires

Skretta will need that knowledge moving forward because he will serve as the district’s leader until June 2026.

Rauner said there are a few reasons why the board members want to take their time looking for a permanent superintendent.

One of those reasons is the Lincoln city election in May.

Some of the spots on the school board are up for grabs.

“Could we have done a superintendent search before the May election is done?” Rauner asked. “The answer is really no.”

He said to do a proper search, the board has to vet candidates, bring them to Lincoln and arrange multiple meetings.

“Any superintendent worth their salt is going to say, ‘Wait a second, I’m interviewing for a district with a really short time scale, and I don’t know the board that I’m going to go in with,'” Rauner said.

He said it’s not smart to rush such an important decision.

So for now, Skretta will take over.

He said he’s ecstatic at the opportunity.

“This is the district where my roots are, where I started,” he said. “We need to keep our eyes on the prize, and that means a focus on the fundamentals. And fundamentals happen at the classroom level. We need to do everything we can to continue to support our teachers and the work that they do.”