District hits reshuffle button for principals

New Prague Area Schools took swift action to fill two open administrative positions within the district last week, reassigning three current administrators to new duties for the 2013-14 school year, and at the same time created two new vacancies.

Lonnie Seifert was named principal at New Prague High School, pending school board approval at the April 22 meeting. Seifert has been assistant principal at the school for seven years. He will replace Tom Doig, who recently was granted a fiveyear leave of absence.

“It’s exciting to be able to get the opportunity to work with a quality staff,” Seifert said. “We’ve been doing some good things at this school, and it will be up to me to see what else we can do to raise the bar.

“I look forward to continuing to work with all of our staff to provide quality educational and co-curricular opportunities for all students at New Prague High School.”

Seifert is completing his seventh year as the assistant principal at New Prague High School. He was the activities director/dean of students at Rocori High School for six years prior to New Prague, and previously was a teacher and Activities Director at Montgomery-Lonsdale and a teacher at Henderson.

Erik Garnass, the assistant principal at New Prague Middle School, has been selected to fill Seifert’s old job at the high school. Garnass has been the assistant principal/activities director at New Prague Middle School for the past two years. He was a math teacher at the high school for nine years prior to moving to the middle school.

The third reassignment will be Brad Gregor as the new principal at New Prague Middle School. Gregor has spent the last two years as principal at Eagle View Elementary in Elko New Market, and prior to that was dean of students and later assistant principal/ activities director at the middle school. He will replace Tim Dittberner, who was recently selected to become the new superintendent.

Dittberner made the decisions on these hires, and he will give his recommendations to the school board at its meeting Monday.

Dittberner will now look to fill the two administrative positions left open by these moves: Eagle View principal to replace Gregor and Middle School assistant principal.