Merrill Area Public Schools is pleased to announce the hiring of two new associate principals in the district, one at Kate Goodrich and one at the Merrill High School
Alex Mashak will be the new Elementary Associate Principal at Kate Goodrich Elementary School. Alex earned his Bachelor’s Degree from Winona State University where he double-majored in Physical Education and Health Promotion-School Health, while obtaining minors in Developmental Adaptive Physical Education and Coaching. He has eight years of experience in education, serving students in the greater Milwaukee and Central Wisconsin areas. His experiences expand PK-12, in addition to working as a dual credit instructor for Northcentral Technical College. Most recently, he earned his Master’s Degree through Viterbo University in Educational Leadership and served as an athletic director for the past three years.
In his free time, he enjoys supporting students outside of the school day by attending extracurricular and community events. Spending time with family, enjoying the outdoors, and following Wisconsin sports teams rank among a few of his additional favorites.
“I am humbled by the opportunity to be a part of the Bluejay family and could not be more excited to work alongside the Kate Goodrich staff and families to help our students achieve at high levels and become contributing members of society.”
Also new to the district is Megan Kautzer, Associate Principal at Merrill High School. Megan graduated from Ripon College in 2008 and began her career teaching social studies at Nekoosa High School. In 2014, she completed her masters degree in Educational Leadership and transitioned into administration. For the last 5 years, Megan has served as the Associate Principal and Activities Director at Nekoosa High School.
Outside of school, Megan enjoys spending time with her family. She and her husband have three children that keep them very busy. When they are not watching basketball games or dance rehearsals, they can often be found on a golf course or on the water musky fishing. In the fall, Megan says she spends nearly every weekend bowhunting on the family farm in Adams County, where she grew up.
“I am very excited to join the administrative team at Merrill High School and work with an exceptional group of staff and students,” says Megan. “I have appreciated the warm welcome and I’m looking forward to an exciting year.”
Both Associate Principals have started the school year by working diligently on the District Scorecard with the other district leaders. They have also participated in a two-day data retreat in order to begin making a difference on the students’ first day back.
“Megan and Alex are quality professionals,” said Superintendent Dr. John Sample. “They are an excellent addition to our leadership team and will strengthen our academic return on investment.”