Ryan Barnick
Dear ZM Families,
It has been a busy summer and I’d like to formally welcome you back to another school year at Zumbrota - Mazeppa Public Schools! I hope you all have had a wonderful summer break and have had ample opportunities to make new memories with friends and family. If you are new to Zumbrota - Mazeppa, I want to also extend a special “welcome” to our Cougar family! I am excited to be joining you as your new Superintendent of Schools and feel fortunate to be a Cougar! Though I have only been in Zumbrota - Mazeppa for a short period of time, I can tell you I already feel at home and cannot wait to serve our community.
I also wanted to take this opportunity to introduce myself and my family. I currently live outside of Mantorville with my wife (Jessica), son (Roman), and daughter (Jewelty). Roman (7th grade) and Jewelty (6th grade) both attend school at Kasson - Mantorville Middle School. Roman enjoys playing basketball and football while Jewelty plays soccer and is involved in gymnastics. Jess and I have known each other since high school with both of us attending Alden - Conger High School. In fact, one of the draws for me to Zumbrota - Mazeppa was how much these two communities remind me of the communities and values I grew up in. I am grateful that I was raised in a town that valued community. As you can imagine, everyone knew and supported each other much like Zumbrota and Mazeppa.
Prior to Zumbrota - Mazeppa, for the past four years I was a principal with Austin Public Schools and before that, a principal at The American School of Bangkok in Thailand. I often get the question, “Why did you move overseas?” The short answer is simple; we wanted to show our kids the world. Over the course of six years we did that, but then realized though they have experienced many countries and cultures of Southeast Asia, they didn’t have a true understanding of their own family roots here in Minnesota. I started my career as a paraprofessional while I was in graduate school and then taught middle school special education (ASD) with Richfield and Minneapolis Public Schools before transitioning into school administration.
Welcome again to the 2023 - 2024 school year! If I have yet to meet you, please do take a moment to introduce yourself when you see me. Understanding who we are as a community is critical for me to learn and lead in a capacity that best serves our families. Relationships are and will be the core of our success, and I look forward to creating valuable collaboration opportunities for our school district and community to unite as one.
Title: Superintendent of Schools
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 507-732-1400