The Rockwood School District has hired a new superintendent – Curtis Cain, currently the Wentzville School District superintendent.
Cain will take over as the Rockwood superintendent on July 1, replacing Tim Ricker, who was named the interim superintendent after Mark Miles retired at the end of June 2021.
Cain said he’s looking forward to leading the Rockwood district.
“I am both humbled and honored to be joining the Rockwood School District,” Cain said in a written statement. “This is a proud district with a noteworthy tradition of educational excellence. I look forward to moving into the district and becoming an active member of the community, building relationships and partnerships that will continue to support outstanding opportunities for students.”
The Leader submitted a request for Cain’s salary but as of this afternoon (Jan. 27), had not received it.
Ricker is paid a $230,000 annual salary, and Miles earned $231,750 his last year on the job.
The Rockwood Board of Education voted unanimously to hire Cain, said Janet Sadowski, administrative assistant to the superintendent.
Before joining the Wentzville School District, Cain was an associate superintendent for educational services in the Shawnee Mission School District in Overland Park, Kan.
Cain has a doctorate degree and a master’s degree in educational administration from Iowa State University and a bachelor’s degree in social science education from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.
“Dr. Cain is a highly accomplished, visionary leader who is known and respected across the state and the country,” Rockwood school board president Jaime Bayes said in a written statement. “His classroom focus and dedication to every student’s potential for success align perfectly with Rockwood’s mission, vision and values. Additionally, his qualities, skills and experiences are exactly what our stakeholders shared that they wanted to see in our next superintendent. We are extremely fortunate to have someone with his credentials, experience and integrity to lead our district going forward.”
Cain won the Missouri Association of School Administrators’ Superintendent of the Year Award in November and is one of four finalists for the 2022 American School Superintendents Association’s National Superintendent of the Year Award, Rockwood reported in a written statement.
Cain, who grew up in Milwaukee, Wis., started his teaching career as a social studies teacher at Dollarway Junior High School in Pine Bluff, Ark.
Cain’s wife, Tori, is the director of student services in the Pattonville School District. The pair have two children, Kailey, a freshman at University of Kentucky, and Kaden, a fourth-grader.
Read more about Cain in the Feb. 3 issue of the Eureka Leader.