RIVERSIDE

Bill Zywiec, Dean of Students at Highland High School and head boys basketball coach, has been named as one of three finalists for the Superintendent of Schools position shared between Highland Community Schools and WACO Community School District.

Joining Zywiec on the final list is Spencer Lueders, an intermediate school principal in Central Dewitt, and Bruce Snodgrass, principal at West Burlington High School and Junior High School.

The Highland School Board made the announcement Tuesday night.

The three finalists were chosen this week from a candidates pool of 10.

Highland and WACO are searching for a replacement for current superintendent Ken Crawford, who announced in December that he will be taking early retirement at the end of the 2024-25 school year.

A final choice could be made as soon as Friday, when the finalists meet with the Board and an interview team in formal sessions.

The Board previously set a salary range of $150,000 to $170,000. The new superintendent would begin work with the start of the new fiscal year in July.

Zywiec, who holds an educational specialist degree from Wayne State College, a master’s degree from Concordia University and a bachelor’s degree from Nebraska-Omaha, has implemented student behavior and attendance policies at Highland.

Lueders holds a superintendent specialist and special education supervision certificate from Northern Iowa, and a bachelor’s degree from Ashford University. He has led his school’s performance designation from acceptable to commendable.

Snodgrass, who holds a master’s degree and specialist in education certificate from Northwest Missouri State University, and a bachelor’s degree from Missouri Western State College, wrote Burlington’s implementation  plan for the Iowa Core Leadership Program and served as co-chair of the Special Education Delivery Plan Committee. He has overseen the Senior and Junior High’s financial budget.