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The Summit Preparatory School is now operating at its new campus on Walnut Lawn.
SBJ file photo
The Summit Preparatory School is now operating at its new campus on Walnut Lawn.

Summit Prep starts semester with new campus, leader

Posted online

Last edited 1:57 p.m., Aug. 20, 2018

The Summit Preparatory School starts its fall semester today with a new top executive and campus.

Katie Heet succeeds Rob Gronniger as head of school for Summit Prep, which is now serving students at 202 E. Walnut Lawn St., a renovated former Mercy fitness center. There, Summit Prep invested some $3.2 million to purchase and renovate the building acquired from Youngblood Auto Group, cementing its move from Chesterfield Village, according to past Springfield Business Journal reporting.

Gronniger moves into the interim role of head of school emeritus through May 2019. He does not plan to retire, said Summit Prep spokeswoman Amy Maas.

“He is also actively pursuing his next venture and plans to return to international education,” she said via email. “We are very fortunate to have him as head of school emeritus for the 2018-2019 school year.”

Mark Sharp, Summit Prep’s incoming board president and a partner at BKD LLP, thanked Gronniger for his service that’s “been instrumental in the school’s strong growth during his five years at the helm.”

“As the school moves into our new space, there are many additional leadership tasks at hand,” Sharp said in the release. “We are pleased to have the unique opportunity to promote a leader from within our organization while dividing some of the leadership responsibilities between these two qualified education professionals.

“The organization for this school year ensures a smooth transition of leadership and provides for additional focus on both programs and curriculum development for students while also fulfilling the vision for our new learning environment.”

Heet’s transition to head of school was effective Aug. 1.

An employee with the school for a decade, Heet most recently worked the 2017-18 academic year as associate head of school, according to the release.

Heet is tasked with leading the transition from Chesterfield Village, which had limited room for growth with nearly 160 students. Those problems are expected to be fixed at the new location on Walnut Lawn, according to past SBJ reporting.

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