As the leader of the Lebanon school district, David Schmitz adapted to meet the changing needs of families, educators and employers.
Schmitz, with school board backing, has expanded access to preschool, increased support for families struggling to make ends meet, exposed students to “real world” skills and explored innovative ways to fill jobs and assess student learning.
The Lebanon leader, whose administrative career has roots in Springfield, was named the 2025 Missouri Superintendent of the Year by the Missouri Association of School Administrators at a Oct. 19 fall conference held in cooperation with the Missouri School Boards’ Association.
“This honor is a team effort,” Schmitz said Sunday. “We have a school board that is committed to being whatever we need to be in order to meet the needs of our kids and community. They’ve allowed for a lot of innovation and unique ways to operate our system. Our community has embraced that and our staff have truly been open and willing to meet the kids’ needs, however we need to.”