Lincoln Board of Education to consider naming John Skretta LPS superintendent

September 5, 2025

The Lincoln Board of Education announced Friday they will consider removing the word interim from John Skretta’s title of interim superintendent at the next regular meeting scheduled Tuesday, Sept. 9. 

Skretta was appointed to serve as interim superintendent in January through June 2026 after the retirement announcement of Paul Gausman. Skretta joined Lincoln Public Schools in July 2024 as the associate superintendent of civic engagement.

Board President Bob Rauner said the last eight months gave the Board confidence in removing interim from the title and proposing the contract amendment, eliminating the need for a costly search process.

“Based on significant board interactions and observations, and uniformly positive community and staff input, the Lincoln Public Schools Board of Education now wishes to remove the interim title and employ Dr. John Skretta as the full-time superintendent of Lincoln Public Schools,” said Rauner. “Dr. Skretta’s extensive experience, from his roots as an LPS teacher to his exemplary service as a superintendent and ESU chief administrator, makes him the ideal choice. Given his impressive track record and the significant progress he's already made, a time-consuming and costly search process would be redundant and unnecessary.”

As part of the consent agenda, the Board will vote on a two-year contract appointing Skretta as the LPS superintendent. As is standard practice and in alignment with the associate superintendent contracts, the superintendent contract can be extended at any time to include additional one, two or three years. 

The proposed superintendent’s salary for the 2025-2026 school year does not include an increase and remains the same as what Skretta was earning as interim superintendent at $333,720 per year. Any salary increase for the 2026-2027 school year will be considered and voted on at a later date by the Board in the normal annual cycle of determining pay increases in concert with determinations of annual salary and benefits determinations for all staff.

“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to continue serving in such an important leadership role and privileged to work in an amazing district,” said Skretta. “We have an awesome team in LPS dedicated at every level to making a positive difference on a daily basis for students, families and community. I am grateful to the Board of Education for the confidence in my work.”

Prior to returning to LPS in July 2024, Skretta was the chief administrator for Educational Service Unit 6 from 2019 until 2024. Part of his duties as administrator included overseeing all personnel and operations for the ESU that served 16 public school districts in the counties of Seward, Saline, York, Fillmore and Lancaster. In that role Skretta was responsible for administration of technology, professional development and student services including mental health, early childhood, transition education and special services. He was also charged with budget development and staff negotiations. As an active member of the ESU Coordinating Council Legal Committee, he focused on legislative advocacy and coordination of activities of non-staff lobbyists. 

Skretta started his educational career at LPS as an English and reading teacher at Northeast High School in 1995. In 2000, he became an instructional coordinator at Northeast High School and then associate principal in 2001. Skretta left Northeast High School in 2004 to be the principal at Norris High School. In 2008, he was named associate superintendent for Norris Public Schools for two years before becoming superintendent in 2010. 

During Skretta’s nine years as superintendent at Norris, he provided visionary leadership and practical guidance to the Norris Board of Education for all school district needs, including strategic planning and policy development. Skretta was also responsible for developing and maintaining community partnerships, managing all facets of human resources and fiscal management for the district, providing instructional leadership and facilitating fundraising efforts on behalf of the Norris School Foundation.

Skretta earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, a Master of Arts degree in English, a Master of Education degree in educational administration, and a Doctorate in Educational Administration degree, all from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. 

The Nebraska Association of School Administrators named Skretta Region 1 Superintendent of the Year in 2012, and State Superintendent of the Year in 2017. In addition, he earned the Distinguished Service Award from the Nebraska Association of School Administrators in 2021. He was announced the 2021 Nebraska Career Education Outstanding Administrative Leader by the Nebraska Department of Education.

---