Center names Cargile as next superintendent; Hickman Mills seeks new leader

Yolanda Cargile

Hickman Mills Superintendent Yolanda Cargile isn’t going far at all to take on her next superintendent challenge.

Five days after she told her Hickman Mills families that she was leaving after three years at the helm of the southeast Kansas City district, neighboring Center School District announced it had found its next leader: Dr. Cargile.

Cargile is thrilled be chosen by the Center, she said in a statement released by the district Tuesday.

“I am extremely grateful and honored the Center Board of Education selected me,” she said. “I look forward to working together to effectively serve children and families in the Center community. I am eager to learn the Center way and immerse myself in this unique organization and community.”

Cargile will start her Center tenure July 1. The Center post is what Cargile was referring to when, in a letter to the Hickman Mills community last week, she said she was leaving the district where she grew up and graduated “to pursue another opportunity to further my growth as an educational leader.”

Hickman Mills chose Cargile as superintendent in 2017 to succeed Dennis Carpenter after she had served two years as Hickman Mills’ associate superintendent of student services.

Cargile saw the district through a challenging period as declining enrollment and budget strain led the board to act on her recommendation that the district close some of its schools.

The provisionally accredited district continues its work to become fully accredited. Cargile said she was proud of the progress her team and the district achieved, including building STEAM and project-based learning throughout its classrooms.

The district despite the financial strain has maintained its universal, full-day pre-K program to help more children be kindergarten-ready. The district is focused on strengthening attendance and has nourished a wealth of local and national partnerships, including with LINC.

And Cargile has worked with the board to set in motion plans for a bond election in August to help carry the district forward.

“More than anything,” she said, “I want you to know that I will remain one of Hickman Mills’ greatest cheerleaders. I’m committed to doing everything I can to make the transition to the next leader a smooth one so that he or she can continue the work that’s already underway to make HMC-1 School District the very best place to learn for students and the best place to work and grow for our teachers and staff. I wholeheartedly believe in this community and am grateful you gave me the opportunity to serve.”

Hickman Mills Board President Wakisha Briggs wished Cargile well and said the board would select an interim superintendent in the next few weeks to work with Cargile during the district’s transition.

Center selected Cargile out of a field of 20 candidates from seven states including Washington, D.C., and Canada, the district said.

In the end, the five month search process led to the district next door.

Cargile stood out among the semi-finalists, most of whom were currently sitting superintendents, said Center School Board President Rebecca Lahann.

“Dr. Cargile’s thorough preparations and deep knowledge of our district, her collaborative leadership style, her ability to navigate significant challenges, and her active presence and visibility in schools and classrooms clearly were distinguishing differences,” Lahann said. “We are confident that her leadership will serve our school community exceptionally well and will make a powerful, positive difference to all of our children.”

Former Center Superintendent Sharon Nibbilenk and the Center school board in May announced a mutual agreement to separate and Assistant Superintendent Michael Weishaar was named acting superintendent.

Center, with an enrollment of 2,600 students, has touted itself as the top performing urban school district in the Kansas City area, and Cargile noted she will be building on a strong foundation.

“I join the district fully aware of the accomplishments of staff, teachers, administrators and the support of the Board of Education,” she said. “I look forward to experiencing many more successes as a team in the years to come.”