It’s always an upset to any institution when there’s a change in top leadership, and the North Crawford School District is no exception. At a time when districts are facing tough financial decisions, navigating new challenges like artificial intelligence, and trying to prepare students for the world of the future, one more challenge can seem daunting.
Nevertheless, when speaking to new North Crawford School District Superintendent Scott Uppena, one immediately gains a sense that the district is in calm, steady, enthusiastic and experienced hands. Scott Uppena was hired as the newNorth Crawford District Superintendent in May. He replaces 19-year district veteran superintendent Brandon Munson, who led the district through many challenging times. Munson faced several challenges including the COVID-19 pandemic, and passage of two crucial referendums that have helped to secure the district’s future.
From the gleaming, beautiful halls of the refreshed building to the greenhouse and improved athletic facilities on the grounds, adding a daycare to help the community and staff recruitment and retention, to a financial future for the district less shaky than other area districts, Uppena is of the opinion Munson left the district in good shape.
“Before deciding to interview for the position with North Crawford, I did a lot of research, and there are a lot of positive things that I found out about that I was excited to be a part of,” Uppena shared. “One of the many people I talked with was Brandon, and it was clear to me that he still had a passion for North Crawford and wanted the school district to thrive and be the best that it could. He shared some of the positive things that the school district has done in the last 10 years under his leadership. He also shared some things that he thought maybe they could do better, which every school district has, every organization has. But, it’s early days for me with only three weeks on the job.”
One thing Uppena said struck him, from a facilities and visual standpoint, is the work that has been done to make sure that the facilities are set up for future success, but also to meet the new needs of the current students and staff and community.
“There’s posters and North Crawford swag, and things that that really emphasize and celebrate the great things that are being done here,” Uppena shared. “It's one thing to do great things, but your place has to be appealing so that when people come to visit your school, they know what you're about, and that you have pride and you love your school. It's also a recruitment tool. When someone is looking to relocate to the area, they don't just look at the community that they're going to be working in. They will look at the surrounding area and say, ‘Okay, where do I want my kids to go to school?’ So, it’s crucial to make sure that when they walk into your school, they say ‘wow, this place looks really nice. It's well kept.’”
Uppena said another thing that really impressed him is that so many staff are former students.
“The fact that we have so many alumni that have wanted to come back and to be a part of the school district tells me about the people that have been here,” Uppena explained. “For those people to want to come back here - that tells me quite a bit about the school district.”
Uppena said that the third thing that really excites him, which he’ll get to experience fairly soon, is the students.
“I’m looking forward to getting to learn and know kids that are in the district. Sometimes as a superintendent, it's easy to sit in your office and disconnect from the kids, and that's part of the reason that I still do lunch duty,” Uppena shared. “I think it's important for the kids to see me for who I am, and not just think ‘I don't know who that guy is.’ That's why I got into education to begin with.”
Uppena also couldn’t say enough good things about North Crawford’s daycare, which he says was a major consideration with a three-year-old daughter.
“She gets to come to school with me in the morning, and I get to drop her off. And my wife, who is a nurse, will be able to pick her up,” Uppena explained fondly. “It was a huge bonus – the daycare we had been taking her to closed at the end of the last school year, and statewide, there’s a crisis with lack of daycare available. So, it’s a great asset for the community, for staff, and a great recruitment and retention tool for the district.”
Uppena’s story
Scott Uppena grew up on a family farm in rural Cassville, and most of his family still lives in that area. After graduation, he attended UW-Platteville, where he studied agriculture education. After graduation, Uppena got his first agriculture education job at the La Farge School District, where he taught from 2004 to 2006. From there, he moved on to the school in New Lisbon, teaching agriculture for three more years. He preferred that location because it was closer to his home in Kendall where his wife was an elementary principal.
“After two years of teaching there, they kind of approached me about becoming their high school principal. I decided at that point that I would go back get my degree, but I started working there immediately as their principal,” Uppena remembered. “But, after about three years, there was an opening at the Royall School District, which is where my kids went to school, and I decided at that point that it was going to be a good move for me simply because I would be in the same school district as my kids.”
Uppena made clear in talking with the Independent-Scout that family is very important to him.
“If you know me, family is always number one. I just felt it was time to move closer to my family,” Uppena shared. “My dad is 78 and in great health, but I also know that can change in a flash of an eye. So, it was time for me to get closer to home. I wasn't looking to leave - I loved my time at Royall. It was a great board. a great community, great staff, great kids - anything that you would ever ask for. But it was getting very difficult for me with the job and being that far away, and coaching boys basketball, to be able to see my family as much as I wanted to. Now, I’m about an hour away. Just yesterday after work, I drove down there and spent two hours with my dad that I would not have been able to do if I was still at Royall.”
Uppena said that he and his first wife had two sons, who are both now attending college. One son, 22, is going to UW-Platteville for Physical Education, and will be a teacher in a year-and-a-half. His second son, 20, is studying business management and finance at Marion University. He also has a stepson, 27, who is getting married this coming May, and works for Kramer Construction.
“My current wife is from Austin, Minnesota. We have a three-year-old daughter whose name is Blake,” Uppena explained fondly. “It's been good for us. She's full of energy. I would say as we've gotten older, she pushes us along. And what's interesting to watch is how the dynamics of our adult older children interact with her. They make special trips home just to see her, more so than probably than if it was just us.”
Uppena said his wife works as a nurse, but their move to Soldiers Grove opened up a new possibility for her. He said she’s accepted a position at Southwest Tech as a nursing instructor – something the North Crawford daycare made possible for her.
First few weeks
Uppena said that with three weeks on the job, and a whirlwind move to Soldiers Grove just recently completed, it’s going very well so far.
“Obviously, every school district is uniquely different. Their communities are uniquely different, and how they prioritize their goals and the important parts of the school district and the jobs are uniquely different,” Uppena explained. “There are parts of the job that are a little bit different, as far as what has been done here previously versus where I was before. But, one of the things I learned early on in my career was if you surround yourself with good people, great things end up happening.”
Uppena said that some of the conversations he’s had with the principals, the district bookkeeper, and the office administrative staff have been very helpful to understand where the district is currently at, and how it got there.
“We've been able to achieve some pretty significant goals, and it's not by the work of one person, and it's not by the work of two or three. It's everybody getting on the same page and working towards the same goals for the same purpose. Sometimes that's difficult to get everybody to do, but I think the right people in the right positions are here, and I'm excited to be able to continue to work with them and learn.”
Uppena said the school board has also been very open, honest and supportive. He observed that it is composed of individuals with lots of diverse backgrounds, which he sees as a strength.
“Anytime that you have a dynamic board like we currently have, it's good because you want people to ask questions, and to try to understand and make decisions that are that are best for a school district,” Uppena shared. “I think we have we have a good dynamic of board members right now that I'm excited to work with, and I think they're excited to work with me.”
Uppena said that his style is to be visible, accessible, and highly engaged with his students, staff and community.
“People that know me well trust me because I have an open book. I don't have hidden agendas. In the end, I believe school districts need to do what's best for kids because that is why we're here,” Uppena said. “If we can all agree on that as our ultimate goal, the details will fall into place. Even though we might agree to disagree on how to get there, if we all have as our ultimate goal to do what's best for kids, we'll find common ground to land on.”
