By Dave Fidlin
Correspondent
And then there was one.
After an exhaustive process that spanned several months, officials in the Whitewater Unified School District have selected a superintendent candidate.
The School Board this coming Monday, June 27, is expected to issue a contract to Mark Elworthy, who has served as district administrator of the Wisconsin Heights School District the past eight years.
Elworthy edged out two other top candidates: Barbara Sramek, district administrator of the Marshall School District, and William White, middle and high school principal and curriculum and instruction director with the Williams Bay School District.
“It was a very difficult choice,” WUSD Board President Casey Judd said of the process of selecting a finalist. “We had some excellent candidates.”
In an interview with the Whitewater Register last week, before the selection was announced, Elworthy discussed why he wanted to transition his career to this city.
“This is a community, and a school district, with a good reputation,” Elworthy said. “I think I can help provide some insight and leadership as future decisions have to be made. I also like the idea of collaboration, especially since this is a college town.”
Judd said Elworthy brought to the table several qualities that helped distinguish him from the pack.
“He has a combination of experiences that include working in a rural school district and has financial expertise,” Judd said. “He also has a strong educational background and has worked in many levels of education.”
In addition to helming the Wisconsin Heights School District, Elworthy’s resume includes roles as middle school principal in Kaukauna, assistant high school principal in Mayville and, early in his career, as a science teacher in Milwaukee and Eau Claire.
Sramek also shared with the newspaper last week why she was hoping to land the job. Working in a community with a university presence, she said, could have provided some “unique opportunities.”
“I think (Whitewater) has some great leadership, and the idea, for me, of working in a larger school district could present some new opportunities, which I find intriguing,” Sramek said.
Prior to her 11-year stint as Marshall’s superintendent, much of Sramek’s career has centered around special education. She has served in such disparate communities as Kohler, Milwaukee and Sheboygan Falls.
When asked why she is passionate about special education, Sramek said she enjoys the challenges, which fluctuate from one day to the next, and the unique opportunity to build strong relationships with students and parents.
“As a professional, I see myself as a learner” Sramek said.
White did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
When the board publicly announced Elworthy as the finalist June 21, Judd emphasized the decision was not made in a vacuum. Feedback from recent community meetings, he said, were a pivotal part of the decision-making process.
“Some of (Elworthy’s) qualities, including his financial expertise, were viewed as strengths in the community feedback sessions,” Judd said.
The full details of Elworthy’s contract, including his salary, will be revealed at the board’s June 27 meeting. He will replace Eric Runez who is taking a similar post in Deforest.
