Mar. 23—Academy School District 20 on Thursday announced the hiring of Jinger Haberer as its next superintendent, according to a district news release.
Haberer, the current superintendent of the Ellensburg (Wash.) School District, brings 35 years of educational experience to District 20. She will begin her new role on July 1.
Haberer previously served as the assistant superintendent of student achievement for Poudre School District in Fort Collins and held several administrative positions in the Aurora Public School District. Before her administrative roles, Haberer taught secondary science, language arts and math in Colorado, Oklahoma and Nevada.
Haberer was one of four finalists for the top job in Colorado Springs' largest school district. Other finalists included Becky Allan, D-20's chief financial officer; Brett Smith, D-20's chief operating officer; and Bill Siebers, the chief human resources officer of Thompson School District in Loveland.
"Mrs. Haberer's strong focus on academic excellence is a great fit for our district," D-20 Board President Tom LaValley said in the news release. "The board is impressed with her qualifications, passion for education, and strong character."
While serving as the Ellensburg School District superintendent, Haberer's accomplishments included leading efforts to pass both a levy and a $59.5 million bond project that resulted in the construction of two new school buildings and a remodel of a third elementary.
Haberer said during candidate presentations earlier this month to the school board that she would implement a forward-thinking and whole-child approach to leadership and decision-making if named D-20 superintendent.
Haberer emphasized her strengths in building community connections. In prior roles she has increased the number of dual credits earned by students and attending one free year of community college by partnering with local community colleges and universities. Working closely with the county, students under her leadership also received increased internship experiences and certified nurse assistant credentials.
Haberer holds a bachelor's degree in nursing from the University of Colorado Medical Center and a master's in administrative policy and leadership from the University of Colorado Denver.
Current Superintendent Tom Gregory announced his plans to retire at the end of the school year back in October. He made the announcement months in advance in order to give the board time to find a successor, he said at the time.