Rochester School Board chooses new superintendent

The Rochester School Board has chosen a veteran school administrator from Iowa to be the district's next superintendent.

Michael Munoz currently works as the chief academic officer for the Des Moines Public Schools. He's also worked as a teacher, counselor, coach and principal in Iowa and Nebraska.

School Board Chair Dan O'Neil said the board voted unanimously to offer him the vacant position.

"His connection to the community through some of the community sessions that he had and his communication of clear intent for being an educator, for being all about the students, those two things, communicating and connecting, were superlative," O'Neil said.

The Rochester School Board will now to enter into contract negotiations with Munoz. They expect to have the position filled by July 1.

Rochester is the state's 7th largest district with 16,400 students.

The previous superintendent, Romain Dallemand, spent four years in the job. He left in January to take a job as superintendent at a district in Georgia. An interim superintendent has served in the position since.