If there is anyone who knows just about everything you possibly could about the operations of the Warren County R-III School District, it’s Dr. Brad Ross.

Having worked his way through the ranks for over two decades, the current high school principal was recently hired to be the district’s next assistant superintendent. Ross will replace Dr. Aaron Jones, who announced his retirement in the fall after eight years at the central office.

“We had a strong applicant pool, and Dr. Ross rose to the top of that,” said R-III Superintendent Dr. Gregg Klinginsmith. “We had people from all over the state apply. Dr. Ross competed against that talented pool and emerged, and we’re excited to have him join us and be our assistant superintendent for the district.”

Ross began his work at R-III in 2001, teaching high school English for 10 years.

His time on campus was interrupted on three occasions, when he was called by the Army for military service, getting deployed twice.

“At that point some curriculum positions were created, and I was looking to explore positions outside of the classroom,” said Ross, who was then hired as the district’s curriculum coordinator, before transitioning into instructional coach.

Ross then served as assistant principal at Black Hawk Middle School for four years, before moving to the head principal role at the high school two years ago.

“I’ve worn a lot of hats,” said Ross, who said his decision to accept the new position was complicated by knowing he would no longer be walking the hallways among students.

“When every person goes into education, you do so to help kids,” said Ross. “I understand that in this new position I will not be around kids on a daily basis watching them grow and helping them learn. That has been the greatest difficulty for me.”

Klinginsmith said what really stood out about Ross was his loyalty to the district.

“His commitment to R-III and to be a Warrior for life is something that stands out for sure,” said Klinginsmith. “His vast experience working in the district is going to be a very good asset to this position and can definitely help us to recruit, retain and grow our current staff.”

Ross will have many responsibilities, overseeing human resources and hiring, maintenance, transportation, federal compliance and student discipline.

“I like to call the position kind of a 'super principal,' because they oversee all the duties in the district that a principal would handle at the building level,” said Klinginsmith.

“When you talk about what really excited me, what immediately jumps to mind is the ability to help shape leadership in the district,” said Ross. “I think that effective leadership is the most important factor for staff retention and building success. I’m excited about having a hand in selecting the leaders in our buildings moving forward.”

Ross will begin his duties as assistant superintendent on July 1, 2022. The position will pay $114,352 for the first year, according to the district’s salary schedule.

“The winds of change blow, and it becomes a point of 'Where am I going to make the greatest impact and be of the best service to the community?'” said Ross. “When I came back from various deployments, I would look around for other opportunities. But I will be a Warrior until I’m otherwise asked to leave.”

The district now needs to find its next principal for the high school. Klinginsmith said a candidate search is currently ongoing.