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Sonja Ortman has been selected as the new Pipestone Area Schools Middle and High School principal. She was hired earlier this year as the director of curriculum, teaching and learning, and continuous improvement, and had been serving as interim principal after the resignation of Todd Huisman. File photo
Sonja Ortman has been selected as the permanent principal at Pipestone Area Schools (PAS). Ortman was hired in February as the director of curriculum, teaching and learning, and continuous improvement, replacing Melany Wellnitz, who resigned last summer. Then, after just a couple weeks on the job, she began filling in as the interim middle and high school principal following the resignation of Todd Huisman.
The school board approved hiring Ortman as the principal, effective, April 16, at its April 22 meeting. There was no discussion of her being hired to fill the position and it was approved along with a list of other staff hirings under the heading of “Notice of New Contract” in the personnel report, which was included in the consent agenda. Consent agendas are typically noncontroversial items that are approved as a group without discussion.
Superintendent Klint Willert said after the meeting that eight people had applied for the position and four were interviewed by teams that included staff and administration.
“There were several things that staff really spoke to in terms of her ability to connect with students,” Willert said. “Being multilingual like she is, she has been able to connect with our Hispanic population very well. She stepped into a situation and has done just a really great job working with staff members and taking on challenges head on, whether it’s the schedule, whether it’s addressing changes that need to occur with moving things around to deal with a leaky roof, she’s dealt with it well.”
He also cited her previous experience, which includes teaching, serving as a curriculum director, being a kindergarten through 12th grade principal and serving as superintendent in Canistota.
A contract for Ortman was not presented at the school board meeting and was not provided by the school district prior to the Pipestone County Star printing deadline, but Willert said that the terms are the same as Huisman’s contract, which called for him to be paid $110,000 for the 2023-24 school year. That amount will be prorated for the portion of the year that Ortman is principal. Willert said contract terms for next school year will be similar with a salary yet to be negotiated.
Willert said after the April 22 school board meeting that the school district planned to advertise for a director of curriculum, teaching and learning, and continuous improvement.
“We know that that’s going to be an important position given everything that’s going on with the READ Act and the implementation of so many policy things at the state level that we have to deal with,” he said. “That position is absolutely essential and critical for our district.”
