At its regular meeting Thursday, Jan. 21, Jayton-Girard school board trustees had a full slate of business, but one matter tops on their minds was how to replace a superintendent who had seen them through seven years of growth and success when Trig Overbo departs for Glen Rose ISD in a few weeks.
Overbo, a Wisconsin native who came to Jayton in 2004 from the principal’s job in Snyder, was named lone finalist for the superintendent’s post at Glen Rose Jan. 14. Overbo said the hire will be official Feb. 3 and he’ll begin the new job March 22.
Colleagues and parents indicated he’ll be a hard act to follow.
“Mr. Overbo has added so much to the special culture at JGISD,” said parent and board president Amanda McGee. “He and his family will be greatly missed throughout the community. We support his decision to pursue his career at GRISD and wish them the very best.”
McGee added, “What I have appreciated the most about Mr. Overbo is his willingness to serve this school district and community. He is always there and willing to do whatever is needed to support our students, staff and community.”
Jayton parent Lance Spray had similar praise for Overbo’s tenure at the board meeting, where he also expressed admiration for principal Lyle Lackey’s leadership.
The board authorized an agreement Thursday evening with the Region 17 ESC to facilitate a superintendent search. Region field agents Phil Warren and Mark Holcomb were on hand to explain the process and the terms. There is no charge for the organization’s service.
A job posting will go out soon, and the search team will receive and vet applications then narrow the pool to about six candidates for interviews. The board will then conduct a second round of interviews, and will make the names public when they have narrowed the field to two finalists.
The region can also provide a list of interim superintendents available to fill the gap between Overbo’s departure and the arrival of his successor.
Although Overbo plans to moving over spring break, he said that he and wife Ashley are still praying about whether or not their three children— daughters Charlie and Ellie and son Alberic, who joined the family last year—should finish the school year in Jayton. The education side of me says, ‘The kids need to finish the school year.’ But the family side says, ‘The family needs to be together.’”
That combined commitment to life and learning is a hallmark of Overbo’s leadership, said board members.
“From the beginning, the Overbo family committed themselves to our community and the beliefs and ideas of what it stands for when we say ‘We Are Jayton,’” said Kent County Extension staffer L’Rae Lee. “Mr. Overbo and his family invested themselves in Jayton,”
Board member B.J. Baldridge pointed to a legacy that Overbo will leave behind in the school’s facilities. “The most obvious accomplishments of JGISD during Mr. Overbo’s tenure are the many facility upgrades that he has overseen, and while those facilities are something to be proud of, his top accomplishment is what has happened inside those facilities,” she said. “Mr. Overbo’s leadership has facilitated a culture that is unlike many have ever seen. It is a culture of selfless teamwork and mutual respect: a culture that puts people before duty and requirements.”
Even in the midst of a pandemic that threatened to shut the school down, colleagues said that Overbo led them through it.
Overbo “ensured all of the students and staff had what was needed to continue education at home,” said McGee. “He and his staff brought laptops to every student and continued to serve a to-go lunch and breakfast for the students . . . . If you couldn’t get to the school to pick it up, he or one of his staff members would deliver it. Whatever was needed he made sure someone was available.”
“Rather than telling his staff what to do, he jumps in with them, supporting them with whatever they need to get the job done,” said Baldridge.
Lee observed how the student population has grown during Overbo’s time. “We once averaged a student population of 120-130 and have been 170+ the past few years. Mr. Overbo and Mr. Lackey opened a door for growth that we haven’t seen in my time in Jayton.”
As for Overbo’s own assessment of his success, he characteristically turned the compliment on others, claiming that his “top accomplishment is putting together the current staff of remarkable people.”
Overbo is “humbled and honored to have served with such an amazing staff,” he said. And hopes the Jaybirds will “continue the outstanding traditions and create more.”
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