Quinton Cermak to lead Flandreau Public Schools

Knowing longtime Flandreau Public Schools Superintendent Rick Weber was likely to retire this year, School Board members have been preparing for some time to find the right person to fill his shoes.
Weber has been with the district for 35 years, starting in the classroom before stepping into the role of Activities Director in 1996. He has served as Superintendent since 2004.
Dakota Education Consulting, the firm the district hired this past fall to help find the best pool of candidates, came through in the boards search.
The board narrowed its choices from a pool of eight highly qualified candidates to three. After meeting and interviewing in executive session for just over five hours, the board voted to hire current Highmore-Harrold Superintendent and Special Education Director Quinton Cermak.
It was a tough decision, said board President Kari Burggraff.
But the board felt this was the best fit for our school. Hes had a lot of experience, and he does a lot in his community too. Hes active, so the ideas he brought and his energy were well received.
The staff, Burggraff added, are excited.
This day and age, a lot of people dont realize how hard it is to get qualified people to apply, and the three we narrowed it down to all had superintendent experience. We had a really good pool to choose from, and we were really happy with that.
As to why he applied for the superintendent role in Flandreau:
I saw it as just a tremendous opportunity professionally to get into a larger school district and all of the challenges that come with that. I feel like Im ready to take that on, and I feel like I have a lot to provide the Flandreau Public School District. So, Im excited about that personally.
Hes also grateful for the opportunity, as it will bring him closer to his two oldest children, who currently attend USD.
Thats what caught my eye when it came to Flandreau, he said.
Moving to a larger district is also appealing to Cermak, as he will likely be able to focus more on his role as superintendent rather than wearing multiple hats, as is often necessary in smaller districts Flandreau is about three times the size of Highmore.
His goals are to build upon the districts strengths and the legacy Weber leaves behind while working with staff to create new opportunities for both educators and students.
Continuing to pursue academic excellence, continuing to grow the teacher and student climate within the building to help retain teachers and encourage students to be involved in the school community and enjoy their time being a student in Flandreau, Cermak said.
He has also made an effort to stay involved in his community and encourage school involvement.
Cermak grew up in Highmore, attended the University of South Dakota, and graduated in December 2001 with a Bachelor of Science in History Education, a Social Studies composite, and coaching minors.
He began his teaching career at Bennett County High School in Martin as a high school social studies teacher. Cermak spent five years there and, in that time, also served as head boys basketball coach, junior high girls basketball coach, assistant girls basketball coach, assistant and then head football coach, assistant track coach, and Legion baseball coach.
He then moved to Stanley County High School in Fort Pierre as a high school social studies teacher and head football coach. After one year, he moved to the Pierre School District, where he taught social studies at Georgia Morse Middle School for five years. During that time, he was also an assistant football coach, assistant boys basketball coach, and middle school girls track coach.
While teaching and coaching, he pursued a masters in administration and supervision from the University of Phoenix. In 2013, he moved back to his hometown of Highmore, where he became K-12 principal.
Cermak later received his Education Specialist Degree from the University of Sioux Falls, and in the fall of 2016, he became Superintendent and 7-12 Principal at Highmore-Harrold. Eventually, he stepped away from the principal role and took on the position of Special Education Director while maintaining his superintendent duties.
In the summer of 2021, he began pursuing an Ed.D. in Leadership from the University of Sioux Falls. He is currently six credits short of finishing, with only his dissertation remaining.
In total, he has spent 11 years as a classroom teacher and is now in his 12th year as an administrator.
Cermak is married to his wife, Georgette, and the couple has three children. Their oldest son, Chase, is a senior at USD; their daughter, Kendall, is a freshman at USD; and their youngest, Logan, is a high school freshman.
His first day on the job will be July 1, 2025.His first day on the job will be July 1, 2025.