Urbandale Schools Associate Superintendent will be the new Decorah School Superintendent

Urbandale School District Associate Superintendent of Human Resources and Operations Mark Lane will be the next Decorah School Superintendent.

Lane will officially begin work on July 1st, but will work together with retiring Decorah School Superintendent Mike Haluska between now and then.

"We would have been pleased with any of the three finalists (for Superintendent)," said Decorah School Board President Ron Fadness, "but Mark really stood out as an excellent leader who met each of the criteria we were looking for.  Our district will be in capable hands as we seek to maintain and build upon the strengths already established."

Lane has served in his current position in Urbandale for the past six years.  He was hired in the Urbandale School District in 2006 as an Assistant Elementary Principal.  He has experience as a 5th and 6th grade teacher and as an elementary school guidance counselor.  He has two Master of Science in Education degrees from Drake University, a Superintendent License from the University of Northern Iowa and will complete work in the Drake University Educational Leadership Doctoral Program in 2021.

Mark and his wife, Carla, have a 21-year-old daughter, Savannah, who is a junior at the University of Iowa; a 17-year-old son, Will, who is a senior at Waukee High School and will attend Iowa State University beginning in August; and a second son, 9-year-old Calhoun, who is a third grader.