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John Skretta, LPS' associate superintendent for civic engagement, is set to take over for Liz Standish, who has briefly served as interim superintendent since Dec. 28 after Gausman's departure. Standish will return to her role as associate superintendent for business affairs.

The board, which indicated last month it planned to find a more long-term interim superintendent while it conducts a superintendent search, will vote on a contract amendment as part of the consent agenda at its meeting Tuesday.

Under that agreement, Skretta would make $27,810 a month as interim superintendent, prorated to Jan. 1, in place of the $220,000 annual salary he makes as an associate superintendent. The interim agreement runs through June 30, 2026.

The board will begin the search process and selection criteria for a permanent superintendent during the 2025-26 school year, an LPS spokesperson said. The board could opt to name Skretta to the permanent role if he applied, the spokesperson added.

In a statement, board president Bob Rauner said the timeline will allow the board to complete a comprehensive superintendent search.

“The Lincoln Board of Education prioritizes community input in our decision making, and selecting the next superintendent is no different,� Rauner said. “Our board will engage with staff, students, families and community members as we outline our search and hiring process and find the next leader for our school district. This timeline of 18 months will allow the board to complete this process.�

Skretta declined to comment Friday. LPS said both Skretta and Rauner would talk to media after Tuesday's board meeting.

A former superintendent at Norris and chief administrator of Educational Service Unit 6, Skretta joined LPS in July as the associate superintendent for civic engagement, the district's chief lobbyist. LPS will hire Skretta's replacement, who will start in July, and Skretta and other associate superintendents will cover the duties of that role as needed until the position is filled, the district said.

Skretta took over for John Neal, who retired last year but returned to lead the district's foundation on an interim basis after the departure of Wendy Van.

Skretta began his career in education in 1995 at LPS as an English and reading teacher at Lincoln Northeast High School, later becoming the instructional coordinator and associate principal. In 2004, he left the district to become the principal at Norris High School. He was named the associate superintendent there in 2008 and then superintendent in 2010. During his tenure at Norris, he was named the state superintendent of the year in 2017 by the Nebraska Association of School Administrators.

After nine years as superintendent, Skretta left Norris to become the chief administrator for ESU 6, where he was responsible for a wide variety of things, including professional development, assisting districts with new technology and providing student services like mental health and early childhood supports.

Skretta earned a bachelor of arts in English, a master of arts in English, a master's in educational administration and a doctorate in educational administration, all from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. 

The announcement Friday comes more than a month after Gausman, the former superintendent of schools in Sioux City, Iowa, said he would retire before the new year after less than three years at LPS. His last day was Dec. 27. Gausman will be superintendent emeritus through the end of the June to give advice to the district when called upon.

“We are fortunate at LPS to have a strong internal team of associate superintendents who are each qualified to step into this interim role,� Rauner said. “We thank Dr. Skretta for his willingness to serve in the interim role. He is a well known, award-winning Nebraska administrator with years of experience as a superintendent. He will be able to carry the work of our district and the five-year strategic plan forward with little to no disruption.� 

Tapping an internal administrator to serve as interim superintendent in a long-term capacity isn't unheard of. Omaha Public Schools selected Matt Ray, a deputy superintendent for the district, to be interim superintendent after Cheryl Logan departed in the summer of 2023. Ray was later named to the role permanently in February 2024 after a national search.