LPS announces principal changes for the 2024-25 school year

Lincoln Public Schools announced several school principal changes for the 2024-2025 school year.

“We are proud to have such qualified leaders who put students and staff at the center of their mission,” said Sarah Salem, Associate Superintendent for Teaching and Learning. “We know they will build upon the strengths and traditions already in place and will share their expertise and passion to help each school thrive.”

These position changes will start on July 1:

Culler Middle School

Current associate principal Daniel Church will be the next principal at Culler Middle School. Culler Middle School Principal Michaela Hahn announced in February that she will not be returning to Culler next school year as she pursues another career opportunity. 

Church joined Culler as a teacher in 2022 and was named associate principal last fall. He started his career in education in Colorado in 2008. Church was a teacher at Strive Preparatory Charter School until 2014 when he was named assistant principal. He also served as a dean of culture at Goldrick Elementary School in Denver for two years, and dean of culture and instruction at Omar D. Blair Charter School for two years after that. Church was also a principal at Ricardo Flores Magon Academy, and at KIPP Colorado at Sunshine Peak Academy until he moved back to Lincoln. 

Church earned his Bachelor of Science in Education and Human Sciences degree from the University of Nebraska - Lincoln, and a Masters of Education in Educational Leadership degree from Regis University.

Schoo Middle School

Associate Superintendent for Human Resources Vann Price announced on March 4 that current Schoo Middle School principal Ryan Escamilla will be the next Supervisor of Secondary Education and Director of Recruitment. 

Escamilla has served as Schoo’s principal since 2021. Prior to that he was an associate principal at Lincoln High School for four years. Escamilla was also a coordinator at Park Middle School from 2015-17, and a teacher at both Lefler and Pound middle schools from 2005-15. 

Escamilla has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska - Lincoln, a master’s degree from Nebraska Wesleyan, and a master’s degree from Concordia University.

Escamilla will start his new duties on July 1, and current Schoo associate principal Allysa Diehl will start her new duties as the next principal then.

Diehl started as a teacher at Schoo in 2009 before moving to the district position of middle school English Language Arts coordinator for one year in 2017. She returned to Schoo in 2018 as an instructional coordinator, and then assistant principal in 2021.

Diehl obtained her Bachelor of Science in Middle Grades Education from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln; and a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction, a Master of Education in Educational Leadership and an Education Specialist degree all from Doane University.

Scott Middle School

Jesse Tvrdy has been selected to be the next principal at Scott Middle School. Mike Gillotti was named the next Associate Superintendent for Educational Services in February. 

Tvrdy comes to Scott from Council Bluffs, Iowa where she serves as the field director for Green Hills Area Education Agency. Prior to her role there, she was a principal at Ralston High School for six years. Tvrdy also served as principal at Kanesville Alternative Learning Center for three years, and assistant principal at Thomas Jefferson High School for four years. Tvrdy was also an assistant principal at East High School in Des Moines, Iowa, and as a resident principal at Leadership High School in Oakland, California after completing urban school leadership training through New Leaders For New Schools at Boston University. Tvrdy began her educational career as a teacher in 2002 in Los Angeles. She also served in the US Armed Forces - Army from 1997-2003.

Tvrdy earned her Bachelor of Science in Education degree from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln, a Master of Science in Education degree from Azusa Pacific University, and Master of Science in School Leadership degree from California State University.

Calvert Elementary School

Lynnelle Giddings will be the next principal at Calvert Elementary School. Calvert principal Jeff Brehm announced he was retiring at the end of the school year.

Giddings currently serves as a leader associate supporting Culler Middle School and Huntington Elementary School. She moved to Lincoln Public Schools last fall from Moorhead, Minnesota where she was an elementary principal since 2017. Prior to her principal role, Giddings was an assistant principal from 2014-2017 and elementary dean of students from 2011-2014. She began teaching in 2005. 

Giddings earned a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from the University of Sioux Falls, a Master of Arts degree from the University of South Dakota, and a Specialist Degree in Educational Leadership from Bethel University in St. Paul, Minnesota. 

Fredstrom Elementary School

Brandi Luber will be the next principal at Fredstrom Elementary School. She currently serves as an instructional coordinator and eighth grade administrator at Lux Middle School. Prior to joining Lux in 2023, Luber was an instructional coach at Everett Elementary for two years. She began teaching at Pershing Elementary in 2016 before moving to Everett in 2021.

Luber earned her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and Minor in Early Childhood degree from Northwest Missouri State University, and a Master of Education in Educational Leadership degree from Doane University.

Hill Elementary School

Current Assistant Principal Emily Wiebeck will be the next principal at Hill. Wiebeck follows Amy Carnie who announced she was returning to a critical position as a school psychologist within LPS. 

Wiebeck has served as the Hill assistant principal since 2021. Prior to coming to Hill, she was at Clinton Elementary as a reading interventionist from 2020-2021, and a professional learning coach for the LPS Continuous Improvement and Professional Learning Department from 2019-2020. Wiebeck taught at Sheridan for four years, Roper for two years, and started at Elliott Elementary in 2012. 

Wiebeck earned her Bachelor of Education degree from Midland University, and a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction and a Master of Education in Educational Leadership both from Doane University.

Maxey Elementary School

Holly David currently serves as the assistant principal at McPhee Elementary School and has been named the next principal of Maxey Elementary. She follows Suzanne Reimers who announced her retirement earlier this year.

David has been the assistant principal at McPhee since 2021. Prior to that role, she was an instructional coordinator at Saratoga, a professional learning coach for the LPS Continuous Improvement and Professional Learning Department from 2019-2020 and an instructional technology coach from 2018-2019. She began teaching in 2014 at Lefler Middle School. David has also taught as an adjunct instructor at Doane University since 2020.

David earned a Bachelor of Elementary Education degree from University of Nebraska - Omaha, and a Master of Education in Educational Leadership from Doane University.

Norwood Park Elementary School

Monique Ruiz has been the assistant principal at Clinton Elementary School since 2022. She will be the next principal at Norwood Park Elementary after the announcement by Pam Hale that she was retiring at the end of the year.

Prior to her time at Clinton, Ruiz was a teacher at McPhee from 2011-2022. 

Ruiz earned a Bachelor of Science in Education and Human Sciences from the University of Nebraska - Lincoln, and a Masters of Education in Educational Leadership from Doane University.

Sheridan Elementary School

Current Assistant Principal Ashley Sitzman has been named as the next principal at Sheridan Elementary. Principal Amy Clark was announced as the next Director of Continuous Improvement for LPS.

Sitzman has served as the assistant principal at Sheridan since 2018. Prior to her current role, she was a coordinator from 2017-2018, and began teaching at Sheridan in 2010.

Sitzman earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a major in Finance, a Master of Arts emphasizing in Elementary Teaching degree, and Elementary Education Administrative Certification all from the University of Nebraska - Lincoln.

Zeman Elementary School

Rudi Wolfe is currently the assistant principal at Elliott Elementary School, and next year she will be the principal at Zeman. Wolfe follows Rik Devney who is leaving LPS for a new position at Waverly Public Schools.

Prior to her role at Elliott, Wolfe served Lefler Middle School students as the Special Education coordinator from 2018-2022. Prior to working in Lincoln Public Schools, Wolfe was a teacher and behavior interventionist/coach in Jefferson City, Missouri, and a teacher at Omaha Westside. She has been in public education since 2008.

Wolfe earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Education, a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction and a Master of Education in Educational Leadership all from Doane University.

Salem added about all of the new principals, “Educational leadership is a special calling and we are honored that these individuals have decided to accept the call at Lincoln Public Schools.”

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