Lennox Elementary welcomed a familiar face as its new principal to start off the school year.
Cody Lutes took on his first principal position starting in July. He has been with the district for 11 years and served as a fifth-grade math and science teacher.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of Sioux Falls. He has a master’s degree in K-12 educational administration from the University of South Dakota.
Lutes wanted to take on a principal role to provide a positive impact on education.
“I want to make a positive impact on education by creating a conducive learning environment and supporting both students and teachers,” he said. “I wanted to be able to influence educational practices, curriculum development and student well-being.”
He also enjoys the opportunity to lead a team of educators toward achieving their goals.
Lutes views balancing responsibilities as the biggest challenge to becoming a principal.
“A lot of different tasks are put on a principal’s plate, and I have to juggle these responsibilities. Some of my jobs include managing staff and handling disciplinary issues, as well as an abundance of other administrative tasks,” Lutes said. “Finding a balance between everything can be demanding.”
With just a few days of the new school year under his belt, Lutes said the first few days have been great. The kids are settling in and getting into a routine.
Lutes is thankful for a great administrative team and staff. He is learning a lot from them and is happy to be in Lennox to create a positive learning environment, ensure student safety, support teachers and foster parent and community engagement.
“By doing these things, I believe we can promote academic excellence and rigor into our school,” he said.