Brian Stone has had his superintendent endorsement since 2019 but didn’t move forward with looking for a superintendent position until the perfect spot opened up. When former Mid-Prairie superintendent Mark Schneider announced his retirement in March and the district began the search for a new leader, Stone started to think Mid-Prairie could be that perfect spot.

Before applying, Stone said he visited with Schneider for about two hours, just talking and learning about Mid-Prairie. After that visit, he decided to move forward with his application.

“I know Mid-Prairie is a well-thought-of school district, and to get some of the inside information just confirmed how that this is just a very unique place,” Stone said. “It’s a relationship-building environment. It’s people wanting to get to know people and I think that that’s really, really important.”

Stone attended high school in Pekin and earned his undergraduate degree from Buena Vista University before returning to Pekin to teach 5th grade math and social studies, then junior high social studies, while he also served as the athletic director and later, in a principal-athletic director role. He then moved to the Fairfield Community School District, serving as an associate principal for five years and then as head principal for six years.

Stone said he was initially drawn to Mid-Prairie because there are a lot of similarities to where he grew up in Pekin in a rural area.

Stone said he and his wife, Carla, are excited about moving to the area and getting to know the community.

“It’s almost like starting over. In Fairfield I would go to the grocery store or to Casey’s or anywhere and everybody knows you, and you know them, so you have that opportunity to interact,” Stone said. “That’s not the case yet here, but time will help that develop and I’m very much looking forward to that component of the job.”

Stone said forming relationships with students is extremely important to him. During part of his interview process with students, parents and staff, he asked, “In 30 days, I want an A. What do I need to do, what do you need to see?” and a ninth-grade student spoke up and said, “We need visibility, and we need that relationship.”

“And I said, ‘Well, we’ve already got that started, haven’t we?’ and the student smiled and laughed,” Stone said.

Stone said that Schneider described the job to him as one that builds relationships with students, staff, parents and the community, which was the “hunger” that made him apply for the position.

“Just being very genuine and being very authentic in interactions is very important,” Stone said. “Taking time to go to the play or the concert or the football game — all of those activities are very important.”

Stone said he also plans to be in classrooms very regularly, and has already discussed this with the educational leadership team.

“I came up for the day and went and visited West [Elementary] and got to do some singing. They were working on some reading, but they were doing it through song, which was exciting. Those are the types of things that I look forward to very much.”

While Stone said hopping on board in the middle of several complicated business issues, such as the sale of bonds to fund school construction is “like trying to hop on a treadmill that’s already going 20 miles per hour,” the central office staff have been extremely helpful, patient and kind. But while the nuts and bolts of the position can be learned, the most important thing for him as the new superintendent is to connect with the Mid-Prairie students and community.

“I want students to know that I care. And I want community members to know that as well. I genuinely care and want what’s best for us as much as possible.”