On Monday, November 3, Social Studies teacher Neil Dittmer was selected as the Dean of Students by the School Board with a unanimous 7-0 vote.
Dittmer will begin his position as Dean of Students on January 5. Dittmer does not currently hold his administrative license but is enrolled in coursework and will earn his license in November of 2026. Once he earns his licence, his title will change to Assistant Principal.
“A Dean of Students is a role that is an assistant to the principal, and A Dean of Students will be dealing with discipline, attendance, and other duties assigned to the principal,” said Stroud.
The school board selected Dittmer; there were other candidates, but Dittmer is the one who stood out.
“Mr. Dittmer has always been known for an extremely hard work ethic. He is very trustworthy, he has respect for his peers, his staff, and the students today,” said Assistant Principal Adam Stroud.
For Dittmer, the opportunity to step into a new position was too good to pass up.
“It was an opportunity that I felt like I could challenge myself differently and a new journey that can challenge me in ways that I’ve not been challenged in a long time, and I felt like it was time to take that opportunity,” said Dittmer.
In his new position, Dittmer will be key to filling in with upcoming administrative changes.
“I will be responsible for a lot of what Mr. Stroud is currently doing with discipline and dealing with everything student and teacher-wise,” said Dittmer.
Stroud has been the Assistant Principal at PHS since 2022 and will transition to Principal in January. Stroud will step into this role, as Principal Ed Wagner will be relocating to the end of the building to serve as Superintendent.
Apart from Dittmer becoming Dean of Students in the near future, there are critical key roles to be filled.
“I am excited for a new journey. I think it is a different path from where I have been in the classroom and coaching,” said Dittmer. “I’ll have the opportunity to impact more students, and I think that is exciting.”
Dittmer currently teaches economics, physical education, psychology, and sociology, and his courses for the second semester will be reassigned. Geography teacher Brian Wilson will now teach Dittmer’s economics and physical education classes. As far as psychology and sociology are concerned, those courses will be offered in an online setting.
Dittmer is not only a teacher, but he is also a long-time coach of two sports. Dittmer has been the head coach for Varsity football for six years and Varsity softball for 15 years.
During that time, Dittmer’s softball team won the varsity softball Sectional and Regional games in 2019. Dittmer was an assistant coach before becoming the head coach for football. During his assistant years, the varsity football team won Sectional Championships in 2013 and 2018, as well as a Regional Championship in 2013. Dittmer was also named the IFCA South All-Star coach in 2019, and he currently holds second place for the most wins as a football head coach, with 49 wins.
“There are definitely aspects I am going to miss about the day-to-day stuff where you are growing and learning about all these kids, I will definitely miss game day as well,” said Dittmer.
Athletic Director Darek Newkirk posted the open positions to find Dittmer’s replacements on November 10.
“I am very excited to work with Coach Dittmer in his new role as Dean of Students. As a head coach, Coach Dittmer took great care of the football and softball programs. His passion, organization, and desire for our student-athletes to excel in the classroom and on the field are assets that will lend themselves to his new position at PHS. He will truly be missed out on those fields, but I know he will continue to support these programs in a different way. Congratulations to Mr. Dittmer,” said Newkirk.
The athletic department will be accepting applications for the open softball position by December 12, and applications for the football position are due by January 30.
