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Evansville hires Roth as new superintendent

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Jerry Roth

EVANSVILLE — The Evansville School Board on Monday unanimously approved a contract with Jerry Roth to be the district’s next superintendent.

Roth, the principal at Edgerton Middle School, will begin his new job July 1 at a salary of $127,000.

Roth was the only finalist picked from six candidates interviewed last month by the Evansville School Board and a committee of 22 community members and school staff, Don Stevens, a consultant hired by the district, previously told the Gazette.

Roth served as principal at J.C. McKenna Middle School in Evansville for four years before leaving for the principal position in Edgerton in 2006. Previously, he was dean of students at McNeel Middle School in Beloit for two years, and he taught fourth, fifth and seventh grades for 13 years, according to a district news release.

Roth and his wife, Brenda, have lived in the Evansville area for 10 years. They have two sons, ages 11 and 13, who attend Evansville schools.

Roth will replace Heidi Carvin, who will retire June 30 after nine years of service.

The board considered many factors when approving Roth’s salary, which is slightly below average for the Rock Valley North Conference, board Vice President Nancy Hurley said. Carvin is paid about $121,000, Stevens said.

Before hiring a new administrator, the board reworked the job description, adding three duties:

-- The human resources director will be retiring at the end of the school year, and the board is not planning to fill the position, Hurley said.

“While we have not reconfigured how those duties will be divided up, the district administrator is going to be needing to pick up some of those responsibilities,” she said.

-- The district is planning to launch a new Evansville Education Foundation next month, and the district administrator will be on the board of directors.

-- “Largely because of what’s happened at the state level, we’ve written into the job description the district administrator will have to play a proactive role in working to get the funding that school districts need,” Hurley said.

Not just funding but legislative advocacy on a range of education issues is part of that, said board President Kathi Swanson.

The board received applications from 28 candidates. Roth received “the highest ranking by far” from members of the board and advisory committee.

Board members met with students and staff in the Edgerton School District and staff at McKenna before interviewing Roth a second time. Roth also answered questions from the public and school staff during an open forum.

Roth received his Bachelor of Arts degree in elementary education from Simpson College in Iowa in 1987. He earned his master’s of education in curriculum and instruction from National-Louis University in Illinois, where he also completed advanced studies in administration and supervision in 2001.

Roth received his district administrator licensure from Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee in 2008.