Lincoln Board of Education names John Skretta LPS superintendent

September 9, 2025

The Lincoln Board of Education voted Tuesday at its regular meeting to appoint John Skretta as the next Lincoln Public Schools superintendent, removing the word interim from his title.

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.”

Other Board members weighed in during the meeting saying:

• Board member Barb Baier said, “You connect well with teachers, families and students. I joined you on a tour of McPhee Elementary recently and it's obvious that the teachers connect with you, that you are an instructional leader and they can turn to you. Thank you for your service, and I personally look forward to working with you over the next several years.”
• Board member Annie Mumgaard added, “We could do a search, we could spend the money and do the time. It takes a lot of time and money. One thing we are wise in knowing is that we didn’t need to. When you have the right one in front of you, you don’t need to look any further. I really think you epitomize our All Means All.”
• Board member Piyush Srivastav said, “I want to say how proud of the work Dr. Skretta has done since stepping in as interim superintendent back in January, and before that as associate superintendent in July 2024. In this short amount of time, the understanding and knowledge of LPS, the engagement he has shown is truly remarkable. I’ve seen how well he is connected with staff and students, he listens, he communicates clearly and he is present which is extremely important.”
• Board member Marilyn Johnson-Farr added, “It’s a good season to come to the Board new. Now with the interim title shortly removed, we got Dr. Skretta’s best, but now with the interim removed we can anticipate better.”
• Board member John Goodwin agreed with others saying, “They say there are two important days of a person’s life - the day they are born and the day they figure out why. Just the time we have spent together, I know you know the why of why you are on this earth. It is an honor and a privilege to work alongside you to make sure we are impacting lives in the community and the students of Lincoln Public Schools so the gift can be deployed to the world.”
• Board member Mara Krivohlavek finished the remarks by saying, “As a parent with three sons at LPS, how fortunate I feel as a Board member and as a parent to have you leading the district. What an incredibly exciting time. Thank you for your service.”

The Board approved a two-year contract. 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 superintendent’s salary for the 2025-2026 school year 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'm deeply appreciative to the Board for the vote of confidence and the commitment to continuing our collaborative work. This is a great Board anchored in mission and purpose to ensure that every LPS student thrives,” said Skretta during his update. “Lincoln Public Schools is a destination district. The fact that I get to do this work and get to continue this work energizes and excites me, and I see that same love of learning and doing reflected in our LPS team members.  I look forward to continuing our work to fully realize our mission of ensuring that every student is prepared for successful careers, lifelong learning and civic engagement. We know we have the team to get it done.”

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.

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.

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