This year the Mehlville School District has welcomed a new superintendent.

Dr. Norm Ridder has decided to join the Mehlville School District. He has big plans for this year and intends to incorporate the students, teachers, and parents into them. Dr. Ridder was the superintendent of the Springfield School District for nine years. Before that, he was involved in many catholic schools around the area and schools in both Colorado and Nebraska.

“Wherever I’ve gone, we’ve had a lot of fun,” Dr. Ridder says about his travels in different school districts.

In the 2014-2015 school year, Dr. Ridder plans to plant the seeds for a high performing system that will be finished in a couple of years. He is working to start a strategic plan that will change the way our district works.

Throughout the school year, he expects to “build trust and find out where there is concern.” He also seeks to develop an understanding of the needs that the students, teachers, and parents have. After he discovers those needs, he plans to help create a solution.

Ridder has also set up student, teacher, and parent forms where he meets with each group to see how he is performing with his job and what areas he needs to improve on.

“No matter how old you are or what kind of experience you have, you always need to get better,” Dr. Ridder said.