St. Joseph women among finalists for school superintendent job
By Jenna Wilson
Two current employees are among the four finalists to become the St. Joseph School District’s next leader.
Lara Gilpin, director of secondary education, and Ashly McGinnis, assistant superintendent of academic services, are among the women who district officials will interview on Tuesday. The other finalists are Laura Nelson, superintendent of the School of the Osage School District who previously worked for the SJSD for 14 years including as assistant director of assessment, and Jami Jo Thompson, superintendent of the Norfolk (Nebraska) Public Schools.
The St. Joseph School Board will interview all four candidates on Tuesday. They were selected from eight semi-finalists interviewed late last week. A total of 25 people applied for the superintendent opening.
Each candidate submitted a biography, photo and a video explaining why they should be named the next superintendent of SJSD. That information can be viewed on the district’s website at sjsd.info/suptsearch.
Gilpin has spent 32 of her 34 years in education with the SJSD, the last three of which have been as director of secondary education. Before that, she was principal at Benton High School for one year and at Spring Garden Middle School for 19 years. She also was an assistant principal at Robidoux and Truman middle schools and started her career in the Union Star R-2 School District.
“I would love to continue working in collaboration with our school community to ensure we are providing the very best learning environment, opportunities and resources for our students to succeed both academically and personally,” said Gilpin.
McGinnis has been with the district since 2007 and was appointed assistant superintendent in 2022. Before that, she was the principal at Lafayette High School and worked at Truman as an assistant principal, athletic director and teacher. McGinnis worked as a licensed professional counselor for kids, including students at the alternative school and Buchanan County Academy before entering the education field.
“I believe a strong school system is the foundation of a thriving community and having spent most of my life in Saint Joseph, I am deeply invested in the success of both our schools and our city,” said McGinnis.
Nelson joined the School of the Osage School District in Lake Ozark in 2013 as assistant superintendent, becoming deputy and then interim superintendent before being named to the top job in 2019. Previously, she worked in the St. Joseph School District for 14 years including as assistant director of assessment and secondary communication arts coordinator and taught English at Central High School. She and her husband still have a home in St. Joseph.
“I am deeply impressed by the hard work and the dedication of the St. Joseph school district staff,” said Nelson. “It’s on that foundation that I propose to bring in fresh perspective and proven strategies to help the district move to even greater heights.”
Thompson has been superintendent of the Norfolk, Nebraska, Public Schools since 2013. Before Norfolk, she worked in Beatrice, Nebraska, as interim superintendent, director of student programs, district special education and professional development coordinator and a special education teacher.
“I believe St. Joseph is a place where I can make a difference for students and families,” Thompson said. “I see many parallels between my experiences and the skills that are needed to successfully lead the implementation of the districts long-range plan.”
The woman selected for the job will take over duties on July 1 from Gabe Edgar, who announced this summer that he would retire as superintendent at the end of the current academic year.
