HOLYROOD — Jim Runge has been named the new superintendent for USD 112 Central Plains. He will begin his duties in July.
Runge is searching for housing in the area, and is looking forward to his new position.
“I was impressed by the staff and administration,” said Runge, who is currently superintendent of USD 393 Solomon. “It seemed like a very good place to be.”
Runge moved to Kansas in 1992 from Arizona and has worked at Cherokee, Independence and Solomon. He also taught school in Iowa after a stint playing professional basketball in Europe in the 1970s.
“I had a lot fun,” said the superintendent of Europe. After graduating from college with a bachelor’s degree, majoring history from Iowa State University, he enjoyed seeing the things he had studied. His master’s degree is in educational leadership from the University of Arkansas.
The superintendent has worked in many capacities during his years in education. He has taught history, coached successful basketball teams, taught algebra and English. He has also worked as a principal.
Runge grew up  mostly in Scottsdale, Ariz. and has a rich heritage of educators in his family. His mother was a teacher and his grandmother taught sociology at the college level. They greatly valued education and the social mobility that it leads to.
He is looking forward to his time at Central Plains. “Central Plains has strong family values, and is pro-education and pro-child,” he said. His goals are to build on the positive and  preserve, grow and advance all of those aspects and promote the cutting edge education programs and technology.
“I love to work with people and help them have opportunities,” said Runge.
 He and his wife Dee Dee have two adult sons. In addition, Runge and his brother have a rice farm in Arkansas, which they inherited from an aunt.  Jim handles the finances for the farm.