The board approved the hiring of Dr. Shawn Poyser at a special meeting Wednesday, Jan. 21 at the USD 464 Administrative Center.

Poyser most recently was superintendent at the Warsaw R-9 school district in Warsaw, Missouri. He recently retired from the post after serving there since 2016. He will start in July in Tonganoxie and will replace Loren Feldkamp, who announced last year that he would be retiring in June.

Poyser originally is from northern Indiana and western Ohio, but has called Missouri home for the past five decades.

He’s a graduate of Stockton High School and earned a bachelor’s in finance from Missouri State University, along with teaching certifications in business and social studies and a master’s in education administration. He later earned specialist and doctorate degrees from Lindenwood University, where he also served as an adjunct professor. He served as a classroom teacher, assistant principal, middle school principal, athletics director and head basketball and baseball coach before becoming a superintendent.

He and his wife have three children and four grandchildren and he enjoys sports, hunting, fishing and riding horses.

“I’m excited and humbled by the opportunity to lead Tonganoxie schools,” Poyser said in a social media post. “It is obviously an outstanding district with a very supportive community. I am going to do everything I can to make sure students and staff have everything they need to be successful today and in the future.

Tonganoxie USD 464 Board members met with superintendent finalists in executive session during special meetings Jan. 14-16.

The district introduced Poyser in between the Tonganoxie boys and girls basketball games during Thursday’s Tonganoxie Invitational Tournament. Feldkamp also was recognized during halftime for his years of service as superintendent in Tonganoxie and for his many years in education, as he served in various school districts.

Plans are in the works for Poyser to meet the community again in the coming months For instance, he’ll be meeting with district faculty members during a professional development day next month.