“Jesse is an accomplished administrator,” Northwestern Board President Rick Birt said. “We’re very excited to have him start in the next couple weeks.”
Steiner’s official start date will likely be Aug. 1. The board plans to approve a three-year contract with him at the regular June 17 board meeting, the details of which haven’t been worked out, Birt said. That includes his salary.
Among the accomplishments listed on his resume, Steiner touts bringing Celina schools out of a $2.2 million deficit spending in fiscal year 2013 back into the black.
He’s also been involved in staff contract negotiations in each of those districts and ran a successful levy campaign in Celina in 2013.
“There are a lot of great things that attracted us to Jesse,” Birt said. “His high moral standards and his ability to bring people together were definitely deciding factors.”
At Hicksville he oversaw the implementation of a one-to-one laptop program, providing MacBooks to every student in grades seventh to 12th and installing a brand new track and stadium lights without using general or permanent improvement funds, according to his resume.
“My family and I are very proud to join the Warrior family and look forward to moving into the community,” Steiner said in a statement released by the board. “I hope to be in the area and on campus as much as possible between now and my Aug. 1 start date.”
Steiner and his wife, Christa, plan to move their family to Springfield this summer. They have three children — Casey, 18; Erin, 15; and Mattie, 13. Erin and Mattie will attend Northwestern schools.
He was chosen from among 31 applicants culled by K-12 Business Consulting. The board interviewed eight semi-finalists and then four finalists before making their selection.
Steiner replaces Tony Orr who has been superintendent for seven years.
Orr has accepted the job of superintendent with Hamilton City Schools. His employment with Northwestern runs through July 31, but he is on paid leave for the remainder of that contract as part of a transition agreement approved by the board in May.
Former Northwestern Elementary Principal Matt Curtis has been serving as interim superintendent, and will remain until Steiner’s contract begins, Birt said.
About the Author