ST. PARIS- Chad Lensman, the current Graham Elementary School assistant principal, has been named the next principal of Graham Middle School. His contract will begin officially on Aug. 1.

Superintendent Kirk Koennecke said, “We searched this past month for someone who is progressive-minded, caring, committed to community and, most important, wants to create a student-centered culture at Graham Middle School with our fabulous faculty there. Chad Lensman’s vision of a modern school with personalized experiences for our students shone through consistently throughout this vetting process. Chad believes in collaboration and teamwork, demonstrated his passion for supporting our teachers, and he is ready to lead.”

Lensman said, “I am so excited for the opportunity to work with such a great staff and meet the goals of Graham 2020. I look forward to working with all of the students, staff, and our community partners.”

Koennecke mentioned that the district took feedback and input from students, parents, and staff as they screened candidates. There were over 30 applicants for the position. Twenty were screened and seven candidates invited in person to interview with Lensman ultimately winning the role after several rounds in front of both administrative and staff panels.

“The level of interest in Graham was exciting to us, but ultimately Chad is an administrator who has developed at Graham, and we are proud of him,” Koennecke said.

Lensman will spend some transition time at Graham Middle School this spring with retiring Principal Tim Zigler before he moves into his new role this summer. “I appreciated working these past three years with the amazing staff at Graham Elementary School and with Mr. Chad Miller, but I can’t wait for this new opportunity to begin.”