The Westfield Washington Schools Board of Trustees has announced a pair of hires at the top of the district leadership structure. Paul A. Kaiser, Ph.D. will be the district’s new superintendent. John Atha, Ed.D. will become assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction. Both of these hires were effective Wednesday, May 26.
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Dr. Kaiser previously served as superintendent of Beech Grove City Schools for 13 years. He has more than 40 years of experience in education. His career began as a teacher at Kokomo Haworth High School, moving on to an assistant principal position at Eastern High School in Greentown, Ind., principal at Decatur Central High School, assistant superintendent at Noblesville Schools, and then as superintendent of Monroe-Gregg Schools and Beech Grove City Schools.
“I am excited to be ‘coming home’ to Westfield and Hamilton County as the superintendent of Westfield Washington Schools,” Kaiser said. “When I served as Assistant Superintendent at Noblesville Schools, my family and I lived in Westfield and my daughters were proud Shamrocks! I am honored to have the privilege of serving the Westfield community as superintendent of schools. Westfield Washington Schools has a long-standing tradition of excellence. Our emphasis will always be to provide a rigorous academic program for our students to prepare them for a career in the next phase of their lives. I’m proud to be a Shamrock!”
Dr. Atha most recently served as president of Guerin Catholic High School and prior to that, was the associate superintendent of Avon Community Schools. The Indiana native brings more than 30 years of educational experience as a teacher, an elementary and secondary principal, and a central office administrator to this role. As assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, he will work directly with building administrators to support their curricular needs.
“I am excited to be joining the outstanding team at Westfield Washington Schools,” Atha said. “My wife and I have lived in Westfield for the past 11 years, and we have a 2020 graduate of Westfield High School. We have experienced, first-hand, the high-quality education students receive and know the district’s success is grounded in its amazing faculty, staff and administration who work tirelessly each day for students and their families. Westfield Washington Schools has a commitment to excellence and to making our community better for all who live here. I am grateful for the opportunity to be a Shamrock and I can’t wait to get started.”
Drs. Kaiser and Atha will be piloting a district with more than 8,400 students, more than 600 teachers and nearly 240 support staff. Westfield Washington Schools currently has an A-rating from the Indiana Department of Education and Westfield High School was recently ranked in the top 3 percent of all high schools in the country by U.S. News and World Report.
School Board President Jimmy Cox said he is confident that Kaiser and Atha will continue the district’s success.
“We are thrilled with the qualifications and the diverse experiences that Drs. Kaiser and Atha will bring to our district and are excited to welcome them,” Cox said. “Their experience in urban, rural, suburban, public and private school settings will help to build on the excellent reputation of Westfield Washington Schools.”
Kaiser holds a doctorate in Educational Leadership from Indiana State University. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Ball State University, in addition to his Administration and Supervision, and Educational Specialist in Administration certifications.
Atha holds a doctorate of education from Ball State University as well as a Master’s of Business Administration and a Master’s degree in education from the same institution. He received a bachelor’s degree in mathematics-computer science from Saint Joseph’s College.