With the retirement of Ellsworth Middle School Principal Jon Dodge at the close of this school year, the Ellsworth School Board last Monday night voted to hire Middle School Assistant Principal Tim Conway for the position, effective July 1.

In his weekly report to parents, Dodge reported: “Moving Mr. Conway from one position to the other will probably be so seamless, students, teachers and parents will not even notice. We have worked together as the EMS administrative team for seven years. That is an eternity in the school administration world. On top of that Mr. Conway and I have long interwoven our duties, so each can fill the other's role without much hiccup. We work very well together, share remarkably similar philosophies, and our life stories have eerily parallel trajectories. It seems that this was meant to happen. Like I said before, for anyone looking for a radical change in the student-centered, standards-driven philosophy we have fostered here over many years, deepest apologies. The next step is for a new Assistant Principal to be hired and the district wants to take care of that soon. This will also help make the transition smooth. We will have several months to lay the groundwork for the future for this school community.”

Conway lives in the Ellsworth area. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy from the University of Northern Iowa and did graduate work at the University of Montana. He then worked at a juvenile correctional facility. He earned his teaching license and started teaching in Ellsworth.

Conway has been with the Ellsworth School District for 21 years.

Retiring Middle School Principal Jon Dodge

Incoming Middle School Principal Tim Conway