Howard to lead Jackson Heights

A Hiawatha native who currently serves as the superintendent at a western Kansas school has been chosen to serve as the new superintendent at Jackson Heights.

Jim Howard, who has served the Hoxie school district as its superintendent and elementary school principal for the past five years, was selected on Monday from a field of four candidates for the superintendent’s position, which is being vacated by Adrianne Walsh at the end of the current school year.

“I’m excited for the new opportunity,” Howard said Monday morning upon learning that he had been chosen for the job. “Jackson Heights is a strong, community-minded school with a good staff and a lot of potential. It’s growing in the right direction.”

Howard, who was interviewed by the USD 335 Board of Education last Friday, will take over leadership of the Jackson Heights district on July 1.

“We are excited to have him come alongside us to help guide our district,” board president David Allen said of Howard.

Howard’s varied career in education began following his graduation from Bethany College in 2004 with a bachelor of arts degree in elementary education, teaching elementary classes and coaching sports at schools in Sharon Springs and Kingman. His first administrative job was as elementary principal in the Copeland school principal during the 2008-09 school year.

During that time, Howard also furthered his education at Emporia State University, earning a master of science degree in educational administration in May of 2008 and a master of science degree in curriculum and instruction the following December.

He also served as a district administrator at Doniphan West for three years, from 2009 to 2012, followed by two years as the middle school principal at Scott City and two years as the middle school principal at Fort Scott.

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