Gessler
By Melanie Speicher
[email protected]
SIDNEY — Sidney City Schools’ assistant superintendent is poised to leave the district for a new job: Celina City Schools superintendent.
According to the Celina City Schools’ website, Brooke Gessler will be hired as the district’s new superintendent at its April 15 meeting.
“We have very exciting news at Celina City Schools. The Celina City School Board of Education received 10 applicants for the position of superintendent, the board interviewed four candidates, and has selected Brooke Gessler, Assistant Superintendent, Sidney City Schools to serve as the new superintendent.” the release said. “Board of Education members praised Brooke’s energy, passion, enthusiasm, and experience.”
President Carl Huber said, “Brooke is the type of leader this District needs.”
“I am excited to serve Celina City Schools students, staff, and families as the next superintendent. The Board has given me an amazing opportunity, and I am thankful and ready to meet and exceed the high expectations they have set. There is no better time to become a part of this school district and community,” said Gessler in the release.
Gessler will work with interim superintendent Brenda Boeke in the coming months and her contract will begin Aug. 1, 2024.
In an interview Tuesday morning, Gessler said she is excited about the opportunity to lead Celina City Schools, its staff and students into the future.
“I’m pretty excited,” said Gessler. “It was an awesome experience the entire interview process. Being a superintendent has been a goal of mine. Celina is a welcoming place so I feel very fortunate to be hired.”
Once she’s officially hired on April 15, Gessler will be working with Boeke so she can become familiar with the district, especially the building program which is underway. The district is combining their elementary classes into one new K-6 building and will see a new high school constructed for grades 7-12.
“We’ll use our days for a transfer of knowledge,” said Gessler. “After the April 15 board meeting, she and I will coordinate our schedules and I’ll be taking some vacation days (with Sidney City Schools). I’ll be brought up to speed on what’s going on with the K-6 building and the plans for the 7-12 building. I want to take advantage of my time with her (Boeke).”
She will also meet with the building construction manager to learn all she can about the building process and goals.
Gessler said she was attracted to the Celina position because the district is similar to Sidney’s district.
“Celina reminds me of our (Sidney) school system,” said Gessler. “The demographics and the student population is similar. We went through a reconfiguration here a few years back. They’re (Celina) is merging many buildings into two. So what they will be going through is very similar to what Sidney went through.”
She said she’ll use her experiences in Sidney to help the process of merging buildings, staff and students in Celina.
“Every interaction I’ve had with the Celina community, staff and building administrators has been positive,” said Gessler. “After I had been with them, I felt I knew them much longer than I had. It felt like I could see myself there. The job felt right.”
Because of family circumstances, Gessler will continue to live in Sidney and commute to Celina daily.
Gessler is a 1996 graduate of Sidney High School. After college, she returned to her alma mater to teach English at Sidney High School. She spent 10 years in the classroom before being named an assistant principal for the district. She then was hired as curriculum coordinator for the district. Two years ago, was named assistant superintendent, which she said, was a title change to meet the job description of her responsibilities.
Sidney City Schools Superintendent Bob Humble said — as of April 1 — the board of education has not received Gessler’s resignation. He expects it after she’s officially hired as Celina’s superintendent. No process has been determined at this time to find Gessler’s replacement.
“I am thrilled that Celina City Schools is getting Brooke. They have made the right choice and Brooke will be sorely missed here at Sidney. I have been lucky to have had such a great person to work alongside of for the last six years. She has some big shoes to fill. I wish her and Celina City Schools all the best!” said Humble.
