St. Paul School Board Elects Gothard As Next Superintendent

ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) – The St. Paul school board has voted, and Joe Gothard will be the next superintendent for the district.

Board members voted 5-2 Tuesday afternoon in to elect Gothard, who is currently the superintendent for the Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District 191. The other finalist was Cheryl Logan, the chief academic support officer for the School District of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania.

Gothard has dedicated much of his career to public education. He became the superintendent for Burnsville-Eagan-Savage schools in July of 2013. In his first two years there, he oversaw a public engagement process that led to the development of "Vision One91."

Gothard also serves on the Greater Twin Cities United Way Board of Directors.

"Tonight's decision concludes an extensive, five-month community engagement plan that gathered input through surveys, community meetings and group feedback sessions. We are grateful to the community for providing valuable feedback throughout the superintendent search," Jon Schumacher, the board chair for St. Paul Public Schools, said in a statement.

Officials with St. Paul Public Schools said they plan to finalize a contract agreement with Gothard around May 1.