SPS’ deputy superintendent starts work

After 35 years working in public education, Doug Van Zyl was looking for a different challenge.

The Minnesota native, who had been a school superintendent in three states including Missouri, said several recent positions involved navigating challenging situations and rebuilding after tough decisions.

“I’ve been doing this long enough, I really wasn’t looking to have to go in and do some big fixes.” said Van Zyl, 57, in an interview. “I wanted to work in a district known for trying to do the right things.”

Springfield Public Schools officials said Van Zyl quickly stood out during the search for a new deputy superintendent of operations. He started the job July 1, succeeding Travis Shaw, who retired.

In his new role, Van Zyl will oversee the completion of projects funded with the $220 million bond issue approved by voters in 2023. He will also help lead the creation of a new facility master plan, which will include a demographic study.

To prepare for the vast role – which includes oversight of human resources, financial and business services, transportation, facilities and construction, custodial and food services – Van Zyl worked closely with Superintendent Grenita Lathan and her team ahead of the hand-off. His annual pay is set at $215,000.

Since moving to Springfield, Van Zyl said he has been visiting buildings – there are more than 50 in the district – and getting to know department heads.

“When you’ve got great people, you want to let great people do their job, and that is how I work,” he said. “I let people do what they need to do, and I support them.”

Following a lead at a job fair in college, Van Zyl started his teaching career in Texas in 1991 and later worked in Iowa, Minnesota and Missouri.

His first Missouri job was as a principal in the Independence School District. He was later the superintendent in Harrisonville Public Schools and then St. Joseph School District.

Van Zyl spent a total of 17 years as a superintendent, including tenures in Fort Dodge, Iowa and Lakeville, Minnesota. He has a doctorate from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Two years into a three-year contract in Lakeville, Van Zyl said he notified the Board of Education that he was not seeking an extension, giving the district time to search for a replacement.

“I felt it was the right time to step away and was going to leave it set up for the next person coming in,” he said.

Van Zyl said the search took less time than expected, so he stepped away, took time to evaluate his future and worked as a senior education consultant with Minneapolis-based SitelogIQ.

“I was not done being an administrator,” he said. “I did the consulting thing for a while but started looking for jobs.”

He said with family located in Alabama, Minnesota and Texas, looking for jobs inside Missouri – a spot in the middle – made sense. He spent 16 years of his career working in the Show-Me State.

Van Zyl said despite serving as the top job in other districts, he is content to work for Lathan and tied for the No. 2 role, alongside Nicole Holt, deputy superintendent of academics. Van Zyl was offered a two-year contract.

“It’s still about taking care of kids and making sure I’m doing the right thing, following the goals of the superintendent and the school board and doing what the community wants,” he said.