KSD Selects Principal for Hawthorne

Kearney School District is pleased to announce that Chauncey Rardon has been selected to become the new principal at Hawthorne Elementary School.

Chauncey Rardon - principal, Hawthorne Elementary School

Mr. Rardon's appointment was confirmed by the Kearney School District Board of Education during a work session on Tuesday, April 18 at the central office. He was selected after an extensive and rigorous vetting and interview process conducted by the district's hiring committee, according to Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources Zach McMains.

"We had an outstanding pool of candidates for this principal post, but Mr. Rardon really rose to the top," Dr. McMains said. "I know he's going to be an excellent addition to our school leadership team. He brings the kind of experience that will be a great match for the talented faculty and staff at Hawthorne Elementary!"

Rardon is currently the principal of Lathrop Elementary School, a position he has held since 2003. Before that, he taught third- and fifth-grade classes from 1998 to 2003 at Brookfield Elementary School. He also started teaching classes in 2013 as an adjunct professor at William Woods University.

After graduating from Brookfield High School in 1994, Rardon earned an associate's degree from North Central Missouri College and a Bachelor of Arts in Education from Graceland University. He also holds a Specialist in Education degree from William Woods University and a Master of Science in Education from Northwest Missouri State University.

Rardon is looking forward to getting to know the Hawthorne Elementary team and community and applying his two decades' worth of educational leadership experience to achieving the school's goals.

"My twenty years of experience as the principal of Lathrop Elementary School has prepared me for a position in mentoring and guiding the process of managing an elementary school," he said. "I'm excited to develop trusting relationships with all community stakeholders and to lead this highly qualified team of professionals who have a focus on meeting the needs of all students."

Current Hawthorne Elementary Principal Lauren Malone is leaving KSD at the end of the academic year to take a position as the Director of Curriculum and Instruction for Grandview C-4 School District. Rardon will start his new job in July.

KPGZ News - Ray Weikal with the Kearney School District contributed to this story