Taking it by the reins

SILVERTON –– The Wallace School District is under new management.

As a pandemic swept across the country, the Wallace School District quietly changed leaders as Dr. Bob Ranells stepped down and Todd Howard was hired to fill his spot.

In the months since his hiring, Howard has worked tirelessly to make sure that his district would have the most normal reopening as possible and so far it’s been just that.

Howard has been an educator for over two decades, 12 of them coming as the principal of Silver Hills Elementary School (SHES).

Prior to working in the WSD, Howard spent 10 years in the Kellogg School District as both a teacher and a coach.

Howard didn’t originally have aspirations beyond his job at SHES, but after a few years he began to wonder if that was something he wanted to pursue.

“After my fifth year of being a principal I began to consider the role of superintendent as part of my career plan,” Howard said. “Of course you never really know how that will all work out until the pieces of the puzzle begin to come together. At the time of the Wallace opening, I was not actively looking for a superintendent position.”

Howard isn’t one to remain complacent, he wanted to challenge himself.

He is looking forward to the many responsibilities that come with his new position including becoming a more active community member, networking with other districts, the ability to continue working with his former staff at SHES as well as Wallace Jr./Sr. High.

He also is excited to have the ability to collaborate with Wallace’s dedicated school board.

“I intend on working as a superintendent as long as I can make a positive difference in our community and our children’s education,” Howard said.

With all of the world’s craziness, Howard is embracing the opportunities and challenges presented by the pandemic.

He also continues to praise his staff, who he has seen accomplish and overcome more in the last few months than he could’ve imagined.

“Could I have chosen a more interesting time to transition into my first superintendent position? I don’t think so,” Howard joked. “I can’t express how impressed I am with all the employees of the Wallace School District. They have gone out of their way to develop plans and procedures for the ‘20-21 school year. In addition, I am so pleased with our local community and their continued support for the efforts of the district. I truly am blessed to have had the opportunity to be raised in the Wallace district, raise my own children in the district, and now help lead the district.”