Dear Kellyville Ponies school family,
We wanted you to be the first to know some exciting news about our school district. As many of you know, Mr. Pierce will be retiring this summer, and we have been diligently looking for our next school leader. During Thursday’s special meeting, we, members of the Kellyville Board of Education approved the hire of Dan Gist, current superintendent of Spearman Independent School District in Texas, as our next superintendent. He will begin his duties July 1.
Mr. Gist is a confident, experienced school leader who has accomplished system-wide success, both in athletics and academics, at multiple school districts, highlighting his ability to collaborate with staff, parents and the community for a common goal – student success. Dedicated and student-focused, Mr. Gist inspired academic and extracurricular excellence throughout his years as a superintendent, supporting students and staff as they strived for success.
Mr. Gist first began his career as an algebra teacher and coach in 1990. After 10 years in the classroom and out on the football field and basketball court, Mr. Gist accepted his first role as an administrator at Pilot Point Independent School District as the assistant high school principal. Two years later, Mr. Gist accepted the position of assistant superintendent before becoming the superintendent in 2014.
In 2020, Mr. Gist took on his current role as superintendent of Spearman Independent School District. During Mr. Gist’s tenure at Spearman, the district’s junior high was awarded a Blue Ribbon in 2021. The high school football team also earned back-to-back state championships for academic excellence in 2022 and 2023.
We are excited to welcome him to the Kellyville Ponies family and can’t wait to work alongside Mr. Gist, district staff, parents, and students as we strive to create a bright future for all Kellyville students.
With help from the Oklahoma State School Boards Association (OSSBA), the board selected Mr. Gist from a competitive pool of candidates. OSSBA has helped facilitate superintendent searches across the state, working with other school board associations throughout the country to ensure quality candidates.
Thank you to the parents, staff and community members who participated in the superintendent search survey and focus groups. Your responses were incredibly valuable as we navigated the search process and narrowed down candidates to a professional who values our district and community and who will help our district continue to grow and provide new, exciting opportunities for our students.
Sincerely,
Members of the Kellyville Board of Education