Ringgold hires new superintendent
NEW EAGLE – Ringgold School District hired Megan Marie Van Fossan to be its new superintendent Wednesday night.
Van Fossan’s hiring is the culmination of a five-month search process that began shortly after Superintendent Karen Polkabla announced her retirement. Polkabla died unexpectedly of natural causes in February at age 67.
The district’s school board hired Van Fossan following a unanimous vote. Currently the director of special services for McGuffey School District, she will start her new job July 1.
In a statement, the board said they were hiring Van Fossan for her “passion for public education, established instructional leadership roles across grade levels and focus on increasing student learning and achievement.”
The board also expressed its confidence that Van Fossan’s “vision and spirit are a perfect match for the Ringgold School District and its communities.”
Van Fossan said she was drawn to Ringgold because of the strong sense of community within the district and its “belief in public education. It really takes community leadership.”
At McGuffey, Van Fossan supervises the special and gifted education programs, nursing services, suicide prevention and homeless liaison services. She has a certificate in advanced educational leadership and management from Harvard University, a master’s degree in school leadership and administration from George Mason University and a master’s degree in secondary education from the University of Alabama. She received her bachelor’s degree in special education from Ohio State University.
Since Polkabla’s death, the district’s acting superintendent has been Randy Skrinjorich, its director of operations and financial services.