Truelove to lead Holton High School

Arkansas City High School principal Jeremy Truelove will lead Holton High School starting next school year, it has been reported.

The Holton school district announced this week that Truelove, who has worked all 15 years of his educational career at Arkansas City, has been appointed to the high school principal’s position. He will take over after the retirement of HHS Principal Rod Wittmer at the end of this school year.

Truelove was one of two candidates interviewed by the USD 336 Board of Education last week. The other was Dr. Robyn Kelso, who has served as a program consultant for the Kansas State Department of Education for the past two years and has 23 years of experience in public education.

Holton USD 336 Superintendent Bob Davies said the board authorized him to appoint one of the two candidates following last week’s public meetings with the candidates. Surveys of board members and district patrons following the meetings “unanimously” favored Truelove’s appointment, Davies said.

The board will finalize a contract for Truelove, with a base salary of $100,000, at the board’s next regular meeting, scheduled for Monday, April 10, Davies added.

Truelove began his 15-year journey with Arkansas City USD 470 in the 2007-08 school year as a high school social studies teacher and coach, holding the position for seven years. He was named assistant high school principal for the 2014-15 school year, then was promoted to high school principal five years ago.

He earned his bachelor of science degree in education from Missouri Southern State University in 2007 and his master of science degree in building administration from Emporia State University in 2015. He is currently working toward a doctorate in educational leadership from Kansas State University.