Welcome to the School District of Jefferson’s website. Our mission is “Empowering futures together” and our vision is “All students positively impact society.” We follow a set of beliefs/commitments and implement core strategies from our district strategic plan to achieve the mission and vision for students, staff members, parents, and the community.
Because I am new to the School District of Jefferson, allow me to introduce myself. I graduated from Arcadia High School in Arcadia, Wisconsin and then attended the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse to become a teacher. My first job in education was teaching eighth-grade civics in Yuma, Arizona at Gila Vista Junior High School. From there, I moved back to Wisconsin and taught various social studies courses at Brodhead High School. Over the past 20 years, I served two schools as their principal: Brodhead Middle School (9 years) and Franklin Middle School in Janesville, Wisconsin (11 years). I completed a Master’s of Science in Educational Administration from the University of Wisconsin - Madison in 2001 and earned a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis from the University of Wisconsin - Madison in 2012. I am married with five children and enjoy going to Wisconsin Badger sporting events.
I believe strongly in public education and the role it plays to prepare young people to become responsible citizens in a democratic society. Schools provide our country with thinkers, artists, inventors, and visionaries—and local and state economies depend upon those individuals as tomorrow’s workers. Collectively, we empower our youth, their parents, our school employees, local business, industry, churches, and civic organizations. Strong communities support strong schools; strong schools support strong communities.
The School District of Jefferson is a great place to learn and work as we are fortunate to enjoy a supportive board of education, motivated students, and a caring community. As a result, students in our schools are excelling with a rigorous curriculum delivered by research-based teaching practices. We are fortunate to have an excellent staff that is highly motivated to meet the challenges of public education while providing exceptional learning opportunities for our students. Our efforts regarding school improvement will continue to guide our work. It is my privilege to serve the School District of Jefferson as the superintendent.
I encourage you to spend time navigating our website and learning about our school district. Please contact me at (920) 675-1010 or via email at urnessc@sdoj.org if you have any questions or would like more information regarding our great school district. Go Eagles!
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